i

UNICEF-THE GAMBIA

EVALUATION OF THE GIRLS EDUCATION

PROJECT OF THE FORUM FOR AFRICAN

WOMEN EDUCATIONALISTS – THE GAMBIA

(FAWEGAM)

Girls from the three Tuseme clubs in Basse

Consultant: Adelaide Sosseh

August 2012

ii

Table of Contents

Contents Page

Table of Contents ii

Acronyms and Abbreviations iv

Glossary of Terms v

Acknowledgements vi

Executive Summary vii

Introduction 1

Chapter 1: Background 2

Chapter 2: Evaluation Design and methodology

2.1 Purpose of the evaluation

2.2 Objective of the Evaluation

2.3 Scope of work

2.4 Methodology

4

4

4

4

5

Chapter 3: Findings

3.1 Relevance of the interventions from communities perceptions

3.2 Effectiveness of the Project

3.3 Efficiency of the Project in terms of costs and benefits

3.4 Sustainability of Interventions

3.5 Intended and unintended outcomes of the Project

3.5 Girls and women empowered

3.7 Linkages with other partners at the Community

8

8

10

11

15

21

23

32

Chapter 4: Lessons learned, Conclusions and Recommendations

4.1 Lessons Learned

4.2 Conclusions

4.3 Recommendations

33

33

35

36

References 37

iii

GRAPHS

Graph 1 Number of respondents by gender and region 5

Graph 2 Distribution of respondents by gender 5

Graph 3 Knowledge about FAWEGAM 7

Graph 4 Knowledge about the Girls‟ Education Project 8

Graph 5 Importance, relevance and appropriateness of interventions 8

Graph 6 Gender as a vehicle for social change 12

Graph 7 Ethnic composition of Mother‟s Clubs by region 18

Graph 8 No. of students trained in Tuseme in the GBA and URR 22

BOXES

Box 1: Effectiveness of the Project from the perspective of the respondents 10

Box 2: Respondents views about gender as a vehicle for social change 13

Box 3: Observations on the effectiveness of the training programme 16

Box 4: Sustainability of interventions 19

TABLES

Table 1: Outcomes of the project 11

Table 2: Supply and demand disparities by district 20

Table 3: Membership of Tuseme Clubs in Regions 1 and 2 24

Table 4: Girls Assertiveness and Self Confidence 26

Table 5: Questions about the girl‟s self-esteem 27

Table 6: Family Duties Ascribed to Women by the Girls. 28

Table 7: Extent of Girls‟ Confidence in Female Leadership 28

Table 8: Effects of the Project at the Household Level 29

Table 9: Girls Performance in Mathematics and Science Nasir Ahamdiya 31

References 37

ANNEXES

Annex 1 Terms of Reference 40

Annex 2 Research Plan 46

Annex 3 KII Questionnaire 54

Annex 4 Tuseme Clubs Discussion Guides 63

Annex 5 Mothers Clubs Discussion Guides 69

Annex 6 Interview Guide Professional Women 72

Annex 6 Persons Interviewed 73

Annex 7 Coverage of Mothers Clubs 74

iv

LIST OF ACRONMYS AND ABBREVIATIONS

ACDHRS - African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies

AIDS - Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome

APGWA - Association for the Promotion of Girls and women‟s Advancement

CCM - Coordinating Committee Meeting (CCM)

CIEFFA - International Centre for Girls and Women‟s Education in Africa

CFSI - Child Friendly School Initiative

CRR - Central River Region

CSO - Civil Society Organizations

CSR - Country Status Report

ECD - Early Childhood Development

EFA - Education for All

EFANet - Education for all Campaign Network

EMIS - Education Management Information System

FAO - Food and Agricultural Organization

FAWE - Forum for African Women Educationalist

FGD - Focus Group Discussions

FGM/C - Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting

FLAG - Female Lawyers Association

GBA - Greater Banjul Area

GBV - Gender Based Violence

GRTS - Gambia Radio and Television Services

KII - Key Informant Information

LEG - Local Education Group

LGA - Local Government Authority

LRR - Lower River Region

MDGs - Millennium Development Goals

MoBSE - Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education

NBR - North Bank Region

NGO - Non Governmental Organization

PLA - Participation, Learning/Planning and Action

PCA - Project Cooperation Agreement

PIQSS - Programme for Improved Quality Standards in Schools (PIQSS)

SMC - School Management Committee

SMT - Science Mathematics and Technical Subjects

TOT - Training of Trainers

UBC - Upper Basic Cycle

UNICEF - United Nations Children‟s‟ Fund

UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund

URR - Upper River Region

VAWGs - Violence against Women and Girls

VDC - Village Development Committee

WASSCE - West African Secondary School Certificate Examination

WCR - West Coast Region

v

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Ramadan – During the blessed month of Ramadan, Muslims all over the world abstain from

food, drink, and other physical needs during the daylight hours.

Tuseme - Ki Swahili word meaning “Let us speak out.”

Bantaba – Mandinka word for meeting place in the village

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The consultant would like to place on record her special thanks to the following individuals and

institutions without whose help and input the task would not have been accomplished:

Technical support – UNICEF, FAWEGAM and Education for All Campaign Network

particularly Jenieri Sagnia, Nuha Jatta, Meritxell Relano, Mohammed Dem, Yadi Njie Eribo,

Modou Nyang, Matarr Baldeh John Charles Njie.

Documentation-UNICEF and FAWEGAM

Data Collection – Mass Ndow, Bola Taal and Ismaila Jeng

Data Entry- Jainaba Faal and Mariama Colley

Interviews-all the persons who gave their time to participate in the interviews

Focus Group Discussions-the Mothers‟ Clubs and Tuseme Clubs that participated in the FGDs

Mobility-Katim Njie

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Education is a basic human right which should be accessible to all Gambians irrespective of their

gender, religion, disability, ethnicity, age, wealth, and location. The government of The Gambia

is committed to fulfilling this right and to meeting the Education for All and the Millennium

Development Goals by 2015. Efforts by the government to provide nine years of good basic

quality education for all Gambians has resulted in a Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) of 88% in

20101 with a Net Enrolment Rate (NER) of 70% for girls. EMIS data shows that gender parity

has been attained.

The Country Status Report (CSR) 2010 outlines the status of gender disparities in The Gambia

education system. The report indicates that gender inequalities in enrolment does not existent at

the Lower Basic level of education; a slight disparity exists at the upper basic level which is

carried through to senior secondary school which is completed by only 25% of girls against 32%

for boys. Disparities are more marked by area of residence and the gaps are even more

pronounced in the rural areas. About 62% of the population lives in the rural areas yet this does

not translate into the same proportion when it comes to school enrolment.

To support and complement Government‟s efforts to ensure that all children go to school and

complete the basic education cycle, UNICEF supported the FAWEGAM, the national chapter of

the continental Forum for African Women Educationalist (FAWE) to implement the Girl‟s

Education Project (2010-2011). FAWE works to attain gender equity and equality in education.

A Project Cooperation Agreement (PCA) was signed and the following targets set:

Net enrolment rates in lower basic schools increased from 70% to 80%;

Attendance rate for girls improved;

100 mothers clubs enabled to generate income to sustain advocacy for increased

enrolment; retention and attendance for children in school;

Promoting women‟s participation in social policy development through training of

members of the mothers clubs and the executive of the network of mothers clubs;

Promote gender equity and equality in education in The Gambia by fostering positive

policies practices and attitudes towards girls‟ education.

As set out in the PCA an evaluation would be conducted at the end of the two years to provide

information on the success or otherwise of the Project and to highlight challenges and

constraints. A consultant was hired to carry out the evaluation.

The purpose of the evaluation is to enable FAWEGAM to build on its strengths, minimize its

weaknesses and overcome any constraints that it may have encountered during implementation.

Findings from the evaluation will also inform the MoBSE in its implementation of the

1 Country Status Report 2010

viii

Programme for Improved Quality Standards in Schools (PIQSS) as well as the planning and

implementation of the UNICEF 2012-2016 Country Programme.

The following methods were used to carry out the Study: desk reviews of existing literature was

undertaken to get the necessary background information that would inform the evaluation; a

research plan was developed and submitted to UNICEF and FAWEGAM for their input and

invaluable comments incorporated; purposive random/judgmental sampling was identified as the

most appropriate method to conduct the research; data collection tools (quantitative and

qualitative) were developed to collect data from primary sources and secondary sources; the

tools were shared with UNICEF and FAWEGAM for their input; field visits were undertaken to

11 communities in the URR, CRR and Greater Banjul Areas (GBA); key informant interviews

(KII) and participatory Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), held with Mother‟s and Tuseme clubs;

data was collated and analyzed and a draft report written.

The main limitation of the study is the possible bias that could influence the findings as a result

of the sampling methodology. This was mitigated by working with a team of independent data

collectors and comparing notes and impressions with them and utilizing a variety of data sources

to confirm and corroborate participant information. The second was the reluctance of some of

the key informants to give information this gap was offset by the data acquired from

communities. Ramadan is also not the best time to conduct studies of this nature as people are

not readily available for interviews and FGDs.

FINDINGS

Knowledge is critical to making informed decisions as it impacts on how people perceive and

do things. Knowing about FAWEGAM, what it does and how and why it does it are critical

ingredients to acceptability of its work and to the adoption of positive behaviours in support

of this work.

Respondents in the GBA and URR had very high knowledge about FAWEGAM, 95% and

92% respectively whereas only 42.3% of respondents in CRR knew about the organization.

In comparison only 79% of respondents in the GBA, 75% in URR and 37.50% in CRR know

about the Project.

Knowledge is higher in the GBA and the URR as FAWEGAM has worked longer in these

areas than in the CRR. In addition the institutions and experts that work with FAWEGAM

such as the Gender Education Unit of the MoBSE and the Tuseme clubs are concentrated in

the GBA and the URR.

The majority of the respondents in the GBA and URR 88%, 83.33% respectively and 50% in

the CRR regard the project as important; 72%, 83.33% and 43% of respondents in the GBA,

URR and CRR respectively regard it as relevant and 76%, 83.33% and 43.75 of respondents

respectively in the GBA, URR and CRR areas regard it as appropriate.

The Project supports innovative strategies such Mothers‟ Clubs, Tuseme Clubs, take Our

Daughters to Work, Science Mathematics and Technology Clinics which are regarded as

effective by 68% of respondents and efficient by 52%.

Gender as a vehicle for social change is acknowledged by 68% of respondents in the GBA,

54.16% in the URR and 23% in the CRR respectively.

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Motivating, engaging, leading and supporting skills and knowledge transfer for sustainability has

been a main feature of good practices that were employed in implementing the project.

Examples of these good practices are found in the Mothers‟ and Tuseme Clubs, the SMT and

take our daughters to work programme. The Mothers‟ Clubs are the best known strategy of

FAWEGAM. They are well structured, have elected leaders; meet regularly; share information

and with the exception of a few keep records of their meetings.

The Mothers‟ Clubs members are confronted with a myriad of advocacy challenges that serve as

barriers to girls‟ education which include: poverty (Basse, Kaur, Nafugan); lack of support for

the girl child (Basse, Njau); early marriage (Basse, Njau, Kaur, Boraba, Brikamaba, Kuntaur,

Diabugu, Nyakoi, Nafugan); domestic chores (Basse, Njau, Kaur, Boraba, Brikamaba, Banjul,

Nafugan); FGM/C (Kuntaur); inadequate communication between mother and daughter

(Tallinding); teenage pregnancies and child labour (Banjul); distance of home from school

(Basse).

They employ a variety of strategies – advocacy, community sensitization, social mobilization,

mother-to-mother counselling, dialogue and negotiations – to persuade families to send their girl

children to school and keep them in school. These activities have been successful as they are

backed with concrete actions. Mothers‟ Clubs invest time, money and services into making a

difference in their communities.

Resource mobilization and the management of these resources is the most difficult task for the

Mothers‟ Clubs who are concerned not only with where they are going to get the funds from, but

also how the funds are to be used when they get them and how to keep them safe. The seed

money provided by UNICEF as start-up capital has been invested into income generating

activities and the profits derived there from other sources such as member contributions,

donations and grants as well as from fund raising activities are invested into supporting ECD,

school feeding programmes and providing scholarships for girls.

The Mothers‟ Club Training Manual has been the main tool that FAWEGAM has used to build

the capacity of the members in its training activities. The information generated has enabled the

users to think and reflect on their life situations and to use this information to make informed

decisions; to think global and act local; to challenge existing gender stereotypes; to be productive

and to invest the income from their productive activities into the welfare of their homes and

children; to participate, learn/plan and act and to develop life and communication skills. The

tangible outcomes are their ability to dialogue and negotiate within and outside the household; to

earn and own disposable income and to participate in decision making processes at the household

and community level.

TUSEME has proved to be an effective strategy for building the confidence, assertiveness and

self - esteem of the girls. It has enabled them to analyse situations, take correct decisions

challenge the systems and decisions that impact negatively on their wellbeing. It has not yet

been successful in breaking down the gender stereotypes in the household as all the girls still

attribute household chores to women. Dependency characteristics are still displayed by the

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majority as well as thinking with the head and not with the heart. The involvement of boys in the

process has resulted in greater awareness of gender equality issues and the building of greater

respect for the girls.

The low participation of girls in the Science, Mathematics and Technology (SMT) subjects in

schools and poor learning outcomes has resulted in FAWEGAM organizing SMT Clinics to get

the girls interested in these subjects. Overall the general assessment is that the clinics have

contributed to changing in attitudes towards girls enrolling in courses that were traditionally the

preserve of boys. Furthermore, there was increase confidence for girls in tackling their academic

challenges and also improvement in the perceptions and attitudes of teachers towards girls‟

abilities and participation. Results from Nasir Ahmadiya School in the URR show that girls are

now performing in the SMT subjects compared to previous years. Out of 27 girls who sat to the

WASSCE in 2011, 5 passed in mathematics and 10 in science.

The Take Our Daughters to Work Programme is an innovative strategy that is designed to expose

girls to different horizons by taking them away from their milieu and placing them with a

professional woman who is working so that the girls can have a role model to emulate. Both the

girls and the mentors agree that this is a good programme as it enables them to learn from each

other; set standards for the girls; creates linkages between the mentor and the girl and is cost

effective. It is observed that even though the girls are supposed to be the best among their peers

they have poor communication skills in English.

One of the intended outcomes of the Project that did not materialize was the production of a

newsletter. The utility of having a print version in this day and age is doubtful as most

organizations are cutting down on production and distribution costs and environmental issues

also need to be considered. If a newsletter has to be produced an electronic version is a better

option as it eliminates the printing and production costs and expands outreach to a wider

audience.

The strategies of FAWEGAM have focused on reaching the most disadvantaged girls and

addressing constraints faced by multiple disadvantages: gender, poverty, rural/urban divides and

ethno-linguistic background. The programmes that have been put in place are designed to

empower girls and women socially economically and politically thereby accelerating the

collective global response to the persistent challenges of women‟s equality and empowerment.

The investments in monetary terms totalled GMD 2.907,945 (GMD 1,791,840 and GMD

1,116,105 in 2010 and 2011 respectively)2. These amounts as significant as they may seem are

outweighed by the benefits of the investments. The seed money that was provided has enabled

women to become economically empowered. They have invested the money into income

generating activities which have yielded interest. Investments in farms and gardens have

contributed to enhancing household food security and reducing short term hunger in school

children. Out of the eleven Mothers‟ Clubs visited ten (91%) were fully engaged in their income

generating activities. Only Kaur who had just reactivated their Club did not have one. The fact

that they have reactivated the club is an indication of their interest and commitment. 2 UNICEF Education Officer and FAWEGAM Reports

xi

Late disbursements by UNICEF and in some instances budget cuts impacted negatively on

project implementation as in some cases the number of participants for training activities and in

others the numbers of days had to be reduced.

Conclusions and recommendations

The Girls Education Project (2010-2011) has been successful in attaining the targets indicated in

the results framework of the project. The target of “strengthening Mothers‟ Clubs advocacy

skills for improved attendance and retention of children in 50 Child friendly schools in URR”

has been attained. The capacity of the Mothers‟ Clubs have been strengthened through training

and other forms of support to advocate for girls education and to create awareness at the

community level and mobilize additional resources for girls education. The CSR 2010 reports

that in Wulli and Sandu districts in the URR the enrolments are higher than expected despite

supply being low. This attests to the high level of advocacy that has taken place in these areas.

The Mothers‟ Clubs are a powerful ally for FAWEGAM in their campaign to attain gender

equality. They are a good entry point at community level for the implementation of strategies for

the attainment of the EFA goals in 2015 and beyond.

Even though gender parity in enrolment has been attained at the lower basic level of education at

the national level it is important to look behind this data. From a policymaking perspective,

further disaggregation is needed to better identify those children most at risk of educational

exclusion. For example, the combination of sex and location of residence reveals that girls from

rural areas are more likely to be out of school than boys from rural areas and children of either

sex from urban areas. The biggest disparity exists between rural girls and urban boys. It is also

important to consider the combination of sex and household wealth.

Poor learning outcomes influence parental and community perceptions on the value of girls‟

education and on the part of the girls themselves limit their further education and chances of

having decent job opportunities. Household chores have impacted on the ability of girls to carry

out their home studies effectively. Gender stereotypes are still strong in the division of labour

within the household and there is the need to eliminate these stereotypes or to provide labour

saving devices in communities that will reduce the workload on the women and girls.

Girls should not be limited to certain subject areas in their training and education by any

constraint other than their own choice. The SMT Clinics and the Take Our Daughters to Work

Programme has attempted to break the psychological barriers that prevent girls from

participating in these subjects and to reach out to higher heights. It tells the girls that it is okay to

dream but that these dreams have to be backed by hard work, determination and success. The

programmes are limited in nature however and need to be scaled up to increase participation.

xii

Recommendations

UNICEF

Provide the financial resources to scale up good practices- the Mothers‟ Clubs, Tuseme

Clubs, Take Our Daughters to Work and SMT Clinics which are not only innovative but also

cost effective. They contribute to positive behaviour change and support the transformation

of society.

Strengthen the Mothers‟ Clubs by providing them with resources such as labour saving

devices that will reduce their workload and that of their daughters, earn them independent

and disposable income and free the women to participate in other development activities

particularly the decision making institutions.

Support the conduct of tracer studies to (i) determine the number of children enrolled in

Lower basic school in 2010 in the URR and CRR who complete the cycle; (ii) the girls who

attend SMT clinics and actually continue their studies in these subjects and take up

employment in related job areas (iii) the girls who participated in the Take our Daughters to

Work and what type of work they are employed in.

Provide institutional support to FAWEGAM to enable it carry out its duties effectively.

FAWEGAM

Scale up good practices particularly the Tuseme Clubs, Take Our Daughters to Work and

SMT Clinics.

Strengthen the existing Mothers‟ Clubs instead of creating new ones. Providing them with

the knowledge skills and resources will enable them to sustain their gains as they will have

the voice and the power to participate in the decision making processes in the public and

private domains.

Promote learning and sharing between the Mothers‟ Clubs through study visits to strong

clubs and to Child Friendly Schools. Such learning will inspire the emulation of best

practices

Involve the men and the boys. Expand the outreach to include religious, traditional and

opinion leaders and male members of the community. They can be useful allies in breaking

down the myths and conceptions related to girls‟ education.

Provide scholarship schemes for girls that want to pursue their studies in the SMT subjects

and mobilize resources from non-traditional partners to support the scholarship programme.

Conduct tracer studies to (i) determine the number of children enrolled in primary school in

2010 in the URR and CRR who complete the cycle; (ii) the girls who attend SMT Clinics and

actually continue their studies in these subjects and take up employment in related job areas

(iii) the girls who participated in the Take our Daughters to Work and what type of work they

are employed in.

Train non-traditional partners such as the cluster monitors of the MoBSE and staff of

Community Development Directorate so that they monitor programmes and conduct step

down training for sustainability.

Revise the Mothers‟ Club Training Manual and produce a second edition to take on board

new and emerging trends in development. Translate the manual into national languages so

that they can be used as a standard text in the Functional Literacy classes and collaborate

with literacy service providers to use the Manual as a post literacy text.

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Enhance visibility of FAWEGAM in the other education regions to showcase the good work

that is being done by the organization. Multimedia approaches should be used to inform and

educate the public and other stakeholders about the work of the organization. An electronic

newsletter should be one of the media options.

1

Introduction

1. Education is a basic human right which should be accessible to all Gambians irrespective of

their gender, religion, disability, ethnicity, age, wealth, and location. The government of The

Gambia is committed to fulfilling this right and to meeting the Education for All (EFA) and the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Efforts by the government to provide nine

years of good basic quality education for all Gambians has resulted in a Gross Enrolment Rate

(GER) of 88% in 20103 with a Net Enrolment Rate (NER) of 70% for girls.

2 The Girls Education Project 2010-2011 funded by UNICEF is being implemented by

FAWEGAM to address gender inequities and inequalities in education in The Gambia.

FAWEGAM is the Gambian chapter of the Forum for African Women Educationalist (FAWE), a

pan-African Non-Governmental Organization established in 1992 to empower girls and women

through gender-responsive education. FAWE believes that education is a human right and that

all citizens, including girls and women, must enjoy that right and works towards building “a

world in which all African girls have access to education, perform well and complete their

studies, and gender disparities in education are eliminated”. FAWEGAM was established in

1997.

3 FAWEGAM‟s vision and mission take cue from this and its work is based on the FAWE

model which has a four pronged approach to girls education: (1) focusing on policy advocacy

and on influencing governments to commit to gender equitable transformation of education

policy and delivery; (2) building public awareness about girls' right to education and through

community advocacy; (3) demonstrating best educational practice through models that are

replicated throughout its 34-country network; and (4) working with African ministries of

education and other stakeholders to scale up the models across Africa.

4 To this end FAWEGAM works strategically with communities, schools, civil society, NGO‟s

the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) and UNICEF to achieve gender equity

and equality in education through targeted programmes. In recognition of this the Programme

Cooperation Agreement (PCA) describes FAWEGAM as “arguably, they possessed the most

effective and comprehensive delivery mechanisms for bringing about improvements in girls

education and gender equity.”

3 Country Status Report 2010

2

Chapter 1: Background

5. The government of The Gambia is committed to meeting the Education for All (EFA) and the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. To this end the MoBSE which has direct

responsibility for the attainment of these targets has endeavoured to provide quality basic

education for all children in The Gambia as promised in the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia

and the 2004-2015 Education Policy. The concept for basic education in The Gambia has been

expanded to encompass 9 years of schooling (Grades 1 to 9), early childhood development

(ECD) and Adult Non-Formal Education. These efforts have yielded results as the GER

increased to 88% in 20104 with a NER of 70% for girls. The MoBSE is supported in its efforts

by UNICEF, FAWEGAM and other NGOs, government institutions, bilateral and multilateral

institutions.

6. These achievements notwithstanding there are still pockets of low enrolment when this data is

disaggregated by region and districts. The Gambia Country Status Report (CSR) 2010 outlines

the status of gender disparities in enrolment at the Lower Basic level does not exist. A slight

disparity exists at the upper basic level which is carried through to senior secondary school

which is completed by only 25% of girls against 32% for boys. About 62% of the population

lives in the rural areas yet this does not translate into the same proportion when it comes to

school enrolment.

7. According to the CSR (2010), poverty is the most discriminatory factor and only 3% of

children from the poorest quintile complete secondary school as against 38% of the wealthiest

quintile. When combined only 1% of the poorest rural girls complete secondary school against

43% of the richest urban boys. Costs of schooling create a significant barrier to schooling as

Gambian households spend almost 46% of their income on education and many cannot afford

this. Most of the girls from these poor households drop out before completing the primary level

as 60% access grade 1 but only 15% reach grade 6. There are marked regional disparities as the

further East one goes up country, the lower the access and completion rates. The primary

completion rates (PCR) in Regions 5 (CRR) and 6 (URR) are as low as 24% and 18%

respectively. Region 6 is further characterized by under enrolment of just 14% at the Upper

Basic level.

8. Addressing gender inequalities in education is a major challenge for the MoBSE. There are

still pockets of resistance to formal education and many see it as alienating to traditions and

culture especially for girls. Entrenched socio-cultural values and norms and gender stereo-types

still place girls and women in the home. Marriage is de-facto and every girl is expected to get

married and in some communities as early as puberty resulting in early marriage and early

pregnancies which takes the girls out of school sometimes before completing an education cycle.

4 Country Status Report 2010

3

9. It is against this backdrop that the FAWEGAM in collaboration with UNICEF is supporting

the MoBSE to improve the status of girl‟s education in The Gambia nationally and in specific

regions such as URR where the enrolment rates for girls is lowest when compared with other

Regions. For example the CSR (2010) reports regional disparities in enrolment at the very

access to the lower basic level with an access probability of 92% in Region 1 against 51% in

Region 6. Under this tripartite arrangement the following targets have been identified:

NER in lower basic schools increased from 70% to 80%;

Attendance rate for girls improved;

100 mothers clubs enabled to generate income to sustain advocacy for increased

enrolment; retention and attendance for children in school;

Promoting women‟s participation in social policy development through training of

members of the mothers clubs and the executive of the network of mothers clubs;

Promote gender equity and equality in education in The Gambia by fostering positive

policies practices and attitudes towards girls‟ education.

4

Chapter 2: Evaluation Design and Methodology

2.1 Purpose of the Evaluation

10. As set out in the Programme Cooperation Agreement (PCA), an evaluation of the overall

project was to be conducted at the end of the 2 (two) years to provide information on the success

of the project and or constraints and challenges that remain. The findings of the evaluation will

(i) assist FAWEGAM in building on successful strategies undertaken as part of the project and to

fill any gaps or overcome any constraints that they may have encountered during

implementation; (ii) the MoBSE will be able to use these findings in strengthening its policy on

girls‟ education and the implementation of the Programme for Improved Quality Standards in

Schools (PIQSS) and (iii) will inform UNICEF in the planning and implementation for the

forthcoming Country Programme 2012-2016. (See TOR Annexe 1)

2.2 Objectives of the Evaluation

11. The evaluation aimed at establishing the effectiveness of the project in terms of achievements

against the objectives. These are:

To what degree has the TUSEME method enabled girls to speak out on the problems

confronting them in their education (e.g. early marriage)

To establish the benefits of the Take Our Daughters to Work activity, Girl Camps and

Science, Mathematics and Technology Clubs (SMT).

To gather information on how knowledge, attitudes and practices of Mothers‟ Clubs

Members related to Girls Education have changed positively as a result of the training

received.

To establish whether the provision of seed money and skills training facilitated the

fundraising and sustainability of the clubs and whether this has resulted in any positive

changes in girls‟ attendance and retention in schools.

To assess the functional value of the Mothers‟ Club Training Manual, FAWEGAM

Newsletter, the AGM, and the IEC materials on retention and attendance of girls in school.

To determine the efficiency of the Project in terms of the use of the total financial resources

of D2, 907, 945.00 (Two Million, Nine Hundred and Seven Thousand, Nine Hundred and

Forty Five Dalasis), and assess its sustainability in the absence of external funding.

2.3 Scope of Work

12. The evaluation was conducted in some of the regions where FAWEGAM has conducted its

activities and provided support to them for girls‟ education. The six (6) key questions outlined in

the objectives were the main focus of the evaluation. Specifically the research sought to

ascertain the following:

How effective have the interventions been in bringing about the desired behaviour

changes which have translated into increased enrolment and retention for girls in school

and improved their performance?

5

How relevant are the interventions for communities whose perceptions of education and

gender may be different from the objectives of the Project and from national and global

perspectives?

How efficient is the Project in terms of costs and benefits?

How sustainable are the interventions and how have the communities, especially the

women and girls, taken ownership of them?

What are the intended and the unintended outcomes of the Project and significant

successes or failures if any?

How empowered are the girls and women, speak up and take action. Are they

participating in decision making on matters their affect their lives in both the public and

private spheres?

What linkages have been developed with other partners at the community, LGA, national

and international levels and how have these contributed to the successful implementation

of the Project?

2.4 Methodology

2.4.1 Desk reviews:

13. A desk review of existing literature was undertaken to get the necessary background

information that would inform the evaluation. The main documents referred to included: The

FAWEGAM Strategic Plan 2008 – 2012; the PCA between UNICEF and FAWEGAM 2010-

2011; Progress and Monitoring Reports submitted to UNICEF by FAWEGAM; the Mothers‟

Club Training Manual; “Let us Speak Out, Empowering Youth Through TUSEME”, A

Teacher‟s Handbook; FAWEGAM Newsletters; The 2011 FAWE Annual General Meeting

Report; Data from the EMIS and other relevant documents including Internet sources.

2.4.1 Research Plan and Inception Report:

14. A research plan and inception report were written and submitted to UNICEF for their input

(see annexe 2). A meeting was held with the UNICEF Education Specialist and Education

Officer and questions on the sampling method were discussed. Operational matters regarding the

contract were raised and the operations manager of UNICEF provided useful feedback.

2.4.3 Sampling: 15. Purposive random/judgmental sampling was used to identify the communities and schools

that participated in the quantitative and qualitative data exercises. This method was preferred

over the others as it enabled the consultant to select a representative sample that would bring

more accurate results than using other probability sampling techniques. The individuals, schools

and communities were purposely handpicked from the population as they satisfied the

characteristic of being connected to the FAWEGAM brand by being/having a Mothers‟ Club

and/or a Tuseme Club; participation in one of the FAWEGAM programmes-Take our Daughters

to School or Science, Mathematics and Technology (SMT) Clinics. Demographic factors were

also taken into consideration such as location (urban/rural) and ethnicity to ascertain how these

factors influenced behaviours and attitudes to girls‟ education. The method also facilitated quick

access to the target as time was a critical factor in reaching the schools before the close of school

and the start of the Muslim month of fasting- Ramadan

6

2.4.4 Data collection Tools:

16. A combination of quantitative and qualitative tools (annexes 3-5) were developed to collect

data from primary sources - UNICEF, Gender Unit of the MoBSE and FAWEGAM governance

body and staff; local communities, Mothers‟ Clubs Members, head teachers, teachers, TUSEME

club members and professional women and girls who participated in the Take our Daughters to

School programme. Questionnaires were developed for the Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and

Focus Group Discussion Guides for the participatory evaluations. The tool was shared with

UNICEF and FAWEGAM for their input. Visualization in Participatory Programming (VIPP)

was used to ascertain how far Tuseme has empowered girls to have self-confidence, self-respect

and self-esteem. Observations were made of their activities and products.

2.4.5 Field Visits: 17. Field visits were undertaken from the 9

th-25

th July 2010 to schools (6) and communities (11)

in the URR, CRR and Greater Banjul Areas (GBA). KIIs were conducted with key stakeholders

in the administrative regions and the communities including - officials of the MoBSE, service

providers, community leaders and representatives of NGOs and CBOs and FGDs were

undertaken with the Mothers‟ and Tuseme Clubs. The consultant was supported by a team of

data collectors as participatory evaluations require team work to ensure that views and opinions

are captured. A total of 75 people participated in the KII against a target of 100 (75%) and 225

participated in the FGD against a target of 220 (102%).

2.4.6 Data Collation and analysis:

18. Data from the field was collated and analysed to present the quantitative and qualitative

dimensions of the study that are presented in the report.

2.4.7 Limitations of the study:

19. The main limitation was the possible bias that could have influenced the study as a result of

using purposive sampling. This was mitigated by working with a team of independent data

collectors and comparing notes and impressions with them after the field work was completed

and utilizing a variety of data sources to confirm and corroborate participant information. The

second was the unwillingness/reluctance of some of the key informants to give information.

7

Graph 1: Number of Respondents by Sex and Region

Graph 2: Distribution of Respondents by Gender

8

Chapter 3: Findings

20. The Girls‟ Education Project sought to improve the status of girls‟ education nationally and

in specific regions such as the URR where the enrolment rates for girls is lowest when compared

with other education. Under the PCA FAWEGAM was to adopt a set of strategies that would

improve enrolment and retention of girls through their connection with the communities. This

evaluation seeks to determine the effectiveness of the various interventions under the PCA. The

following sections below represent the experiences and views of the respondents as they

participated in the implementation of the project. An in depth analysis of the findings from the

field studies and from secondary data sources based on the six key questions are presented

below.

3.1 Relevance of the Interventions from Community perspectives

21. The findings revealed that the Mothers‟ Clubs have taken ownership of the EFA goals and

the MDG‟s particularly EFA goal 5 (eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary

education by 2005) and MDG 3 (promote gender equality and empower women) and localized

these into community perspectives. FAWEGAM had built the capacity of the Mothers Club

members by providing them with the knowledge about these global compacts5 which have been

domesticated into the national laws and policies. The knowledge generated through the training

activities motivated the Mothers Clubs to take concrete action to ensure that girls are enrolled in

school, stay in school and perform in school. As a result of their actions they have been able to

change community perceptions regarding girls‟ education and to influence behaviour change as

people who previously did not believe in girl‟s education are now willing to send their daughters

to school.

22. Knowledge is critical to making informed decisions. Misconceptions about girls‟ education

had resulted in many people particularly those in rural communities to deny their daughters the

right to education. Working with and through the Mothers‟ Clubs has enabled FAWEGAM to

provide rural households and communities with the knowledge to know the importance of girls‟

education not only from a rights based perspective but from a developmental one as well.

Knowing about FAWEGAM, what it does and how and why it does it are critical ingredients to

acceptability of its work and to the adoption of positive behaviours in support of this work.

Knowing about FAWEGAM‟s core competency and the strategies that it employed in

implementing the project was critical in ascertaining its relevance to rural communities.

Respondents in the GBA and URR had very high knowledge about FAWEGAM, 95% and 92%

respectively whereas only 42% of respondents in CRR knew about the organization.

5 When 180 nations signed on to EFA goals at the World Education Forum in Dakar in 2000 and the global

community established universal primary education as a MDG in September 2000, it represented a clear political commitment to develop a global compact to achieve EFA.

9

Graph 3: Knowledge about FAWEGAM

23. In comparison only 79%

of respondents in the GBA,

75% in URR and 37.50% in

the CRR know about the

Project (See Graph 4 below).

Knowledge is higher in the

GBA and the URR as

FAWEGAM has worked

longer in these areas than in

the CRR. In addition the

institutions and experts that

work with FAWEGAM such

as the Gender Education Unit

of the MoBSE and the Tuseme clubs are concentrated in the GBA and the URR.

24. Knowledge impacts on how people perceive and do things. This knowledge influenced the

responses given by the key respondents to the relevance and appropriateness of the project. The

majority of the respondents in the GBA and URR 88%, 83.33% respectively and 50% in the

CRR regard the project as important. It is relevant for 72%, 83.33% and 43% of respondents in

the GBA, URR and CRR respectively and appropriate for 76%, 83.33% and 43.75 of

respondents respectively in the GBA, URR and CRR areas. In the GBA 64% regard it as very

important, 40% as very relevant and 52% as very appropriate. In URR 38.46% of respondents

regard the project as very important, 33% as very relevant and 20% as very appropriate. In the

CRR 37.50% regard it as very important and only 12.50% as very relevant and very appropriate.

Graph 4: Knowledge about the Girls’ Education Project

10

Graph 5: Importance, Relevance and Appropriateness of Interventions

3.2 Effectiveness of the Project

In the box below responsed expreesed the effectiveness of the project in the their own word.

Box 1: Effectiveness of the Project from the Perspective of the Respondents

They have achieved this by sensitizing women on the importance of girl child education and the other issues affecting their lives. (Tuseme Teacher Coordinator Basse)

Provision of scholarships to girls has resulted in high enrolment rates and retention of girls in school. (Principal, St. George’s Basse)

Making sure that the girl child goes to school and stays in School (Secretary, Nafugan Mothers’ Club)

More girls are completing school than before the project. (Secretary to Mothers’ Club Nyakoi)

There are more girls in school than boys. (Head teacher, Nafugan LBS)

The Mothers’ Clubs are respected due to their efforts to support girl child education. (Alkalo’s son Nafugan)

Early marriage was a big problem in our area but things are changing now. (Ward Councillor, Basse Area Council)

Girls and women have been empowered to be able to take informed decisions and leadership roles in their respective communities. (SEO, Gender Education Unit, MoBSE)

They have helped to sensitize parents to send their girl child to school, provide scholarships for them and encourage them to remain in school. (Teacher in Charge, Latrikunda UBS)

There has been an improvement in the retention of girls in schools. Those who would have dropped

11

out, now have opportunity to stay in school through support of FAWEGAM. (Programme Officer, CPA).

Many girls are now staying in school as those who had dropped out were re-entered back to school. Mothers’ Clubs provide counseling to both boys and girls. (PEO Gender Unit, MoBSE)

Mothers’ Clubs have taken ownership of the promoting girls’ education and there is a good working relationship between FAWEGAM and MoBSE (Women’s Councillor Tallinding)

Empowerment of Mothers’ Club. (Cluster Monitor, Janjanbureh)

Mothers’ Clubs have now become a household name. This is as a result of their sustained community intervention. (EFANet Coordinator)

Because they are not only supporting the girl child but also providing skills acquisition for women. (Focal person, Mothers’ Club, Janjanbureh)

Priority is given to the the girl child now more than in the past .(President, Mothers’ Club Diabugu)

The skills we learnt are really useful. We do not regret our relationship with them and we want it to grow. We thank FAWEGAM for their support as it has really helped us. (Chairperson of Mothers’ Club, Nafugan)

FAWEGAM is doing extremely well in this area and I am very proud of what they are doing. (Governor of URR).

3.3 Efficiency of the Project in Terms of Cost Benefits

25. Findings from the field indicate that all the activities outlined in the PCA have successfully

been conducted. The table below indicates the activities that have been undertaken and the

results that were achieved. The strategies that were used in the project were designed to empower

girls and women socially economically and politically thereby accelerating the collective global

response to the persistent challenges of women‟s equality and empowerment. The investments in

monetary terms totalled GMD 2.907,945 (GMD 1,791,840 and GMD 1,116,105 in 2010 and

2011 respectively)6. These amounts as significant as they may seem are outweighed by the

benefits of the investments.

Table 1: Outcomes of the Girls’ Education Project

Strategy Aim Activity Outcomes

Capacity

building of

Mothers‟

Clubs

To build their

capacity through

skills training and

development in

fundraising; gender,

networking and

advocacy.

Training in skills

and

development;

fundraising;

gender;

networking;

advocacy and

leadership

504 women from 252 Mothers‟

Clubs have been trained in the

identified areas and are using the

knowledge and skills acquired to

transform their lives, communities

and schools.

6 UNICEF Education Officer and FAWEGAM Reports

12

Strategy Aim Activity Outcomes

To encourage

participation in

social and political

developments.

Leadership

training for

executive

committee

members of

Mothers Clubs‟

The knowledge and skills acquired

by the executive members are being

used to provide the required

leadership for the Clubs to make

them functional and sustainable.

Information

Sharing &

Networking

To bring together

members of

Mothers‟ Clubs to

share their

experiences and

learn from each

other.

1 Day

Nationwide

Convention of

Mothers‟ Clubs

150 Mothers‟ Club members

participated in the event which took

place at the Presidents Awards

Scheme KMC on August 6th

2010.

They learnt from each other and

shared experiences.

Community

participation

in education

Increased girls‟

enrolment and

improvement in their

performance.

Mothers‟ Clubs

support

individual

schools to

improve

enrolment and

retention of girls

and monitor

girls‟ attendance

and home studies

The Mothers‟ Clubs are engaged in

enrolment drives; awareness

creation and sensitization activities

at the community and household

level and are monitoring the kids in

and out of school.

Tuseme Embolden girls to

speak out on issues

affecting their lives

Set up Tuseme

Clubs in schools

and train

teachers and

students on the

Tuseme model.

389 students 56 teacher in 7 schools

in the URR, CRR and GBA have

been trained in Tuseme. The

students are speaking out and

passing on the skill to their peers to

speak out.

Organization

of English

Clinic &

SMT Clinics

Encourage girls to

read and speak the

English Language;

and to increase their

participation in the

Science,

Mathematics and

Technology subjects.

English and

SMT Clinics

100 girls countrywide attended

SMT Clinics that were organized in

the different education regions.

The girls are participating in these

subjects but there is still a level of

concern about their proficiency in

English.

Monitoring Tracking progress on

Project

Implementation.

Monitoring visits

to Mother‟s and

Tuseme Clubs

countrywide.

FAWEGAM acquired firsthand

knowledge of project

implementation activities and learnt

useful lessons for future

interventions.

13

26. The seed money given to Mothers‟ Clubs enables them to generate more funds and support

the education of girls within their communities. (SEO, Gender Education Unit). With the

exception of the new clubs, the majority of the Mothers‟ Clubs countrywide have received their

seed money. In URR for example the majority of Mothers‟ Clubs (88.4%) had received their

seed money as opposed to the 11.6% who had not (7 out of 60)7. The farming and gardening

projects; the small businesses; revolving loan schemes, tie and dye, bead making, groundnut

paste production and so on are used to increase the disposable income available for the women

and to support girls education. Information derived from the Monitoring Reports show the

diverse forms of support that the Mothers‟ Clubs are giving to the schools. These include but are

not limited to:8

Hire and pay for caretakers – (CRR-Jallowkunda; LRR- Sare Samba; NBR-Samba

Njabeh)

Set up and support ECD centres (URR-Sotuma Sere; CRR-Panchang, Jakhaka, LRR-

Jattaba, Karantaba, Dongoraba)

Bowls, buckets, cups for use by the children and brooms and other cleaning materials

(URR – Diabugu; CRR-Sutokoi Palen; LRR-Kaiaf, Karantaba)

Provide uniform, shoes, pens and pencils for the needy children (GBA - St. Joseph‟s,

Tallinding, and Latrikunda; CRR-Jimbala, Kudang, Jawlaba, Kunting, Ranirou Wollof,

Ballangar, Macca Ali Sarr, Brikamaba; URR – Nafugan; LRR-Dongoroba)

Pay fees for needy students (URR-Diabugu, GBA-St. Joseph‟s)

Maintenance of school (CRR-Fass, Jawlaba, Brikamaba; GBA-St. Joseph‟s and

Tallinding)

Support school feeding (CRR-Kuntaur, Kataba Omar Ndow, Balangarr, Borraba; URR-

Nafugan, GBA – Latrikunda, New Jeshwang)

Water supply- (CRR-Ballangar, Kuntaur, Kayai; LRR-Masembeh, Sareh Sarjo)

27. The key advocacy role that the Mothers‟ Clubs play in creating awareness about girls‟

education at the community and household levels is undisputed. They have been engaged in

enrolment drives; monitored the attendance of girls in school and intervened to stop cases of

early marriage. These were important activities in the drive to attain gender equality in schools

and in society and from a human development security perspective as they promote learning in

safe and secure environments. Investments in school feeding programmes, water supply, school

supplies and provision of scholarships all contribute to the conditions that enhance access,

attendance, achievement and attainment. School feeding programmes do not only alleviate child

hunger in school, but also enhance nutrition, and have the potential to improve a child‟s health,

school performance and educational attainment.9 ECD programmes are beneficial as they

contribute to improvements in children‟s health, nutrition, well-being and cognitive

development; it offsets disadvantage and inequality; leads to better achievement in primary

school and reduces social inequalities. Payment of fees and provision of uniforms gives the

assurance that schooling will not be interrupted due to lack of payment of fees or a lack of

7 FAWEGA Monitoring Reports,

8 FAWEGAM Monitoring Visit Reports and Focus Group Discussion Respondents.

9 Barriers to Basic Education Study, UNICEF, 2011

14

suitable clothing. Environmental cleaning activities and provision of clean water supplies for the

school also contributed to sanitary conditions in the school thus reducing the risk of illness.

28. These changes are discernible not only at the level of the school but also at the level of the

household. Gender as a vehicle for social change is acknowledged by 68% of respondents in the

GBA, 54.16% in the URR but for only 23% of respondents in CRR. (See graph 6 below)

Graph 6: Gender as a Vehicle for Social Change

29. Gender awareness comes out clearly in all the areas except CRR where there are still some

reservations about gender equality. Reaching out to both boys and girls through Tuseme to

change attitudes and through working with the Gender Unit of the MoBSE and the Women‟s

Bureau has resulted in the transformation of people‟s perceptions of gender. In this sense the

project has succeeded in ensuring that activities are gender focused. Awareness has also been

developed among different stakeholders such as religious and traditional leaders.

Box 2: Respondents views about gender as a vehicle for social change

Men are now appreciating the help that women can render not only to their marriage homes but to the community as well. (Headteacher Kaur LBS)

Women are now involved in decision making now. (Education Officer, MoBSE)

Consultation is taking place at the household level. (Mothers’ Club Member, Nyakoi)

Women are becoming more aware of their social responsibilities and rights.(Mothers’ Club FGD, Nafugan)

Sensitization on gender has impacted not only in the schools but also at the household level. (President, Mothers’ Club, Diabugu LBS)

Now the girl child is encouraged to do well in school and there is a reduction on the incidence of forced and early marriages. (Tuseme Teacher Coordinator, Basse)

Women groups are development oriented as they invest in development activities (Cluster

15

monitor, Basse)

Our success as women translates into benefits for men and the whole family. (Chairperson Network of Mothers’ Clubs, Basse)

Women are getting recognition in our communities. (Head teacher, Kaur LBS)

Traditional society does not tolerate mixed gender groups that is why women only groups make more impact. (Programme Officer, CPA)

Mixed gender groups are still a challenge especially when it comes to decision making. The status quo remains unchanged as women are unable to be vocal in the decision making processes. (Director, Regional Education Directorate, Region,1)

With respect to the question on women only groups bringing about social change, the respondents state that:

Women alone cannot bring about positive change considering the male dominance at household/community decision making. Such needs the integration of men as partners so that they will understand the roles of women. (National Coordinator, Tostan, Basse)

Men don’t really support us instead when we invite them they say its mothers club not fathers club. (Mothers’ Club Member, Nyakoi)

This is because no one hand can clap (you need both hands to clap). (Cluster Monitor, Basse)

We don’t have complete support from our husbands. (Secretary to Mother’s Clubs Nafugan)

They are many a time seen as women activists who want to destabilize families and society as a whole. (Teacher in Charge, Latrikunda UBS)

Men are not as concerned about the education of the girl child as we women are. (Ward Councillor, Basse Area Council).

It cannot be as there will never be gender equality between men and women. (Councillor, Tallinding Ward).

3. 4 Sustainability of Interventions

30. Sustainability is a critical ingredient for the survival of CSOs. It is therefore necessary to

have strategies in place that can enable the organization to survive with or without donor

funding. The main strategies identified by FAWEGAM to ensure sustainability of results as

contained in the PCA include:

Provision of labour saving devices for Mothers‟ Clubs in order to reduce the domestic

chores of the girls in the home.

Training of Mothers‟ club on advocacy skills so that they can sensitize the communities

on the importance of girls education and their retention in school

Gender training with support from the gender education unit of MoBSE.

Advocacy at community level for increased enrolment for girls.

31. FAWEGAM has been successful in putting in place sustainability measures for three out of

the four indicators (75%) indicated above. The Mothers‟ Clubs have been trained in advocacy

and community sensitization for girls‟ education and are using these skills to advocate for the

16

enrolment and retention of girls in school. Gender training has been provided with the support of

the Gender Education Unit of the MoBSE and working with and through the Mothers‟ Clubs has

increased enrolment of girls in schools. Labour saving devices have not been provided and some

of the respondents emphasized the need to have labour saving devices to ease the burden on girls

so that they would have time to concentrate on their

studies.

3.4.1 Training of Mothers’ Clubs on advocacy skills

32. The advocacy training provided by FAWEGAM for

504 women from 252 Mothers‟ Clubs countrywide

provided the women with the requisite knowledge and

skills to advocate for girls‟ education, sensitize and

mobilize community support and resources to support

their programmes and to participate in decision making

processes in both the private and public spheres. The

Mothers‟ Club Training manual is the main source of

the training activities. The different modules contained

in the Manual address the knowledge areas and the

competencies that the mothers‟ are to acquire to enable

them play their roles effectively. Global, regional and national perspectives are provided and

this has enabled the Mothers‟ Club members to translate the knowledge gained into concrete

actions in mobilizing community responses to the EFA goals and the MDGs.

33. Advocacy requires the identification of an action issue, agenda setting, speaking up, drawing

a community‟s attention to the issue and directing decision makers towards a solution. The main

advocacy issues identified by the Mothers Clubs are: poverty (Basse, Kaur, Nafugan); lack of

support for the girl child (Basse, Njau); early marriage (Basse, Njau, Kaur, Boraba, Brikamaba,

Kuntaur, Diabugu, Nyakoi, Nafugan); domestic chores (Basse, Njau, Kaur, Boraba, Brikamaba,

Banjul, Nafugan); FGM/C (Kuntaur); inadequate communication between mother and daughter

(Tallinding); teenage pregnancies and child labour (Banjul); distance of home from school

(Basse). FGDs from Banjul claimed that “some of the parents only use their children to get

money and other things for the home by sending them out to work or to engage in small

businesses”. Early marriage emerged as the key advocacy issue for all the nine Mothers‟ Clubs

in the URR and CRR. Domestic chores were the 2nd

most important advocacy issue identified for

6 of the rural Mother‟s Clubs (54.5%) in the rural area and Banjul. The Nafugan and Nyakoi

Mothers‟ Clubs believe that a milling machine would be the answer to their prayers as “the girls

have to pound in the morning and this prevents them from going to school”. The gender division

of labour which ascribes all the household chores to girls and women serves as a barrier to

schooling and impacts on the performance and retention of girls in schools. The Mothers‟ Club

members have not only sensitized communities to these problems but have invested resources

into mitigating some of the problems. By working with school authorities and regional

education directorates they have been able to lay these issues at the table to find joint solutions to

these problems.

Box 3: Observation on the effectiveness of the gender training programme The sessions were enlightening, moral was high, new knowledge and skills acquired and I found it to be very educative. FAWEGAM is doing a good job and I hope that they will continue and expand for the benefit of many more. Chairperson, Diabugu Mothers’ Club

17

3.4.2 Gender training with support from the Gender Education Unit of MoBSE.

34. The Gender Unit of the MoBSE has taken a lead role in conducting the gender training. The

gender training entailed an understanding of existing gender roles and relationships and how

these served as obstacles to girls‟ participation in education and to women‟s active participation

in development. By contextualizing the training on the real life situations the participants were

required to reflect and “discuss the difficulties women and girls face and gender issues

confronting them in their daily lives with a view to enabling them develop understanding of their

own situations in The Gambia”.10

By utilizing training and facilitation methods that enhance

women‟s participation the training was able to motivate the women to adopt and accept a

concept that was initially regarded as a foreign concept and to act as community activists for the

attainment of gender parity in school and for equal treatment of boys and girls in the homes.

Entrenched socio-cultural values and norms have limited the women‟s gender sensitivity for

while they actively campaign for gender parity in education they are unable to address the gender

division of labour as it is so much a part of their cultural beliefs. Household chores have been

identified as a major barrier to schooling and unless the women are able to breakdown the

stereotypes that assign these tasks to the girls and women the opportunity costs of schooling will

still prevail against the girls access and retention in school as they will be required to carry out

these tasks.

3.4.3 Advocacy at community level for increased enrolment for girls

35. Funding for education advocacy is not easy. One of the most difficult challenges faced by

Mothers‟ Clubs is resource mobilization for its advocacy work and other related activities. To

acquire these resources the Mothers‟ Clubs adopt a variety of methods to raise income to sustain

their activities. The members decide on the most appropriate income generation activity which

range from membership contributions, giving loans with interest, farming and gardening,

production of tie and dye, soap, beads and, juice making, operating bakeries and small

businesses. The money is re-invested into the advocacy and community sensitization

programmes; support to school feeding which is in both cash and in kind contributions; and to

establishing and or supporting ECD centres. Two types of in-kind support is given in the form of

providing supplies from the produce of the Mothers‟ Club farm and garden or providing services

where the mothers play an important role in the school canteens either as cooks or supervisors.

Interest in soap making as a source of income is diminishing as it is less viable due to the high

production costs compared to bead making which has become quite popular and yields more

profits.

36. The training on income generation and financial record keeping; resource management;

sustainability and fund raising has built the knowledge of Mother‟s Club members in these areas

and they are using this knowledge to raise resources and invest it into their programmes. Good

financial management skills and structures make it much easier for the Mothers Clubs‟‟ to report

10

Mothers Club Training Manual, The Gambia, Chapter 1

18

back to the membership and to use their money in an open and accountable way. To this end

most of the Mothers‟ Clubs operate bank accounts and keep records of all the monies received,

spent and saved. The members collectively make decisions on what and how the money is to be

spent but the executive body is responsible for the management of the finances. During the

FGDs it was ascertained that the Mothers‟ Clubs have opened accounts with Trust Bank Limited

and Reliance Financial Services and some have savings amounting up to over D20000 (Twenty

Thousand Dalasis).

37. The coherence and coordination of the organizations require strong leadership and good

governance skills. To this end leadership training has been provided for the Mothers‟ Clubs

Executives who are vested with the responsibility of decision making; distributing and exercising

authority and power; determining strategic goals and activities; and assigning responsibility for

those matters. All Mothers‟ Clubs that took part in the FGDs have an Executive Committee in

place consisting of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Public Relations Officer, Treasurer

and Auditor. They know their officers by name and the positions they occupy thus confirming

meeting regularly or participating in joint activities. Meetings are held weekly (Banjul,

Nafugan), monthly (Tallinding, Brikamba, Njau, Kuntaur, Kaur, Boraba), bi-monthly (Nyakoi)

and quarterly (Diabugu). Meeting agendas and reporting by the executive make them

accountable to the general membership. With the exception of Kaur (who have just been

reactivated) all the other Mothers‟‟ Clubs keep records of their meetings.

38. To harness their synergies, learn from each other, exchange information and best experiences

and mobilize resources on a larger scale the Mothers‟ Clubs in URR, WCR and NBR have set up

a Network of the Mothers‟ Clubs in their area. The officials have been elected and are expected

to provide the leadership for the effective functioning of the apex body. On the 3-4 October

2009, an Annual general meeting of the Mother‟s Clubs was held in Basse, URR11

. 100 women

attended the AGM of the Network of Women‟s in URR. Elections were held and the leadership

elected and ways of working agreed upon. There is wide consensus that Mothers‟ Clubs will

make greater impact if they work together, pool their investment capital for projects that benefit

them all, or perhaps simply by sharing information or developing skills through group training to

make each of them more competitive. Women who have the opportunity and ability to

participate in functioning organizations that provide them access to ideas, information, and

services will also have better access to markets, to new technologies and to participation in the

decision making processes at all levels.

39. The first ever Mothers‟ Club day provided FAWEGAM with the opportunity to bring

together 150 Mothers Clubs Members from all over the country to the Presidents Awards

Scheme in the KMC on the 6th

August 2010.12

The event provided a platform for the women to

learn and share experiences from each other; facilitated networking and solidarity between the

Mother‟s Clubs as they were able to meet one on one to discuss issues surrounding girls‟

education and interact with partners including the UNICEF Country representative thus enabling

them to contextualize the project. The event was televised over GRTS thus giving the Mothers‟

Clubs greater visibility and enabling FAWEGAM to showcase the concept. Bringing in women

11

Quarterly Activity Progress Report, FAWEGAM, 1st

November, 2009 12

Quarterly Activity Progress Report, FAWEGAM, 10th

October 2010

19

from different parts of the country was a challenge which was more than compensated for by the

results of the programme.

Box 4: Respondents views on sustainability of interventions

The Village Development Committee (VDC) and the Senior Management Committees (SMC) always support the club in all their activities. (Head teacher Tallinding LBS)

The Mothers’ Club Members are using the knowledge and skills acquired to improve their social and financial status. (Director, Education Directorate, Region 1).

The seed money given to mothers’ clubs enables them generate more funds and support the management of the communities and build their capacities. (Board Member, FAWEGAM)

We have been trained; some of our facilitators make frequent visits to see what we are doing on the ground and give us support too. (Teacher in Charge, Latrikunda UBS)

Mothers’ clubs are trained on different skills and they have the capacity to generate resources. (Mother’s Club respondent, Banjul)

This is demonstrated in the setting up of community structures and initiatives that are managed by community members themselves. (Deputy Director, Department of Social Welfare).

The community has taken it upon themselves to continue their own local projects in order to sustain the Project. (Teacher Coordinator, Tuseme KMC)

The project beneficiaries have the feeling of ownership for the project. They are able to raise their own funds internally and use the resources to fund some of their activities. (Programme Officer, Networking, TANGO)

Those who think that the Project is not sustainable attribute it to the following factors:

Funds given to local communities for project implementation are inadequate for them to function effectively. (Tuseme Teacher Coordinator, Basse)

The resources are not enough and do not facilitate expansion and do not satisfy demand. (Ward Councillor, Tallinding)

Funds provided are not enough. (Secretary to Mothers’ Club, Nyakoi)

With the current state of partners and actors sustainability is very difficult as any time funding from partners is not available, the organizations. Programme Officer, CPA.

Resource constraints (financial and human) threaten long term sustainability of the project interventions. (EFANet National Coordinator).

The resources are not enough and there is room for expansion and demand. (Ward councilor, Tallinding

40. The Mothers Clubs members are heterogeneous and come from diverse ethnic backgrounds

as indicated in the table below. The majority are Muslim. The only thing that they have in

common is that they are women. Despite this difference they share a common platform and

voice which is to ensure that girls go to school and complete a cycle. While religion especially

the Islamic religion has impacted on the way that communities have perceived girls education,

ethnicity has not been a major determining factor.

20

Graph 7: Ethnic Composition of Mothers’ Clubs by Region

41. The main considerations according to the CSR (2010) are gender, location and wealth. The

Report indicates “that girls living in the poorest households are excluded from education as of

the lower end of the basic cycle when their chances dwindle from 9% to virtually 0% at the end

of secondary school”. This confirms the identification of poverty as one of the main factors

constraining girls from schooling. Regional disparities in enrollment are also accentuated. The

differences are very important from the very access to lower basic with an access probability

estimated at 92% in Region 1 against 51% in Region 6. This Region (6) is further characterized

by under enrolment at the upper basic level with a GER of 29% on average ranging from 21% in

Fulladu East to 61% in Wulli. Further analysis of enrolment trends by district in the CSR

indicate that there are disparities based on supply and demand.

Table 2: Supply and Demand Disparities in the Districts Visited13

Districts that

combine below

average supply &

level of enrolment

below expectations

Districts with above

average education

supply % level of

enrolment below

expectation

Districts with below

average education

supply but with

higher enrolments

than expected

Districts with higher

level of education

supply & enrolments

are in line with

expectations

1. Fulladu West

2. Fulladu East

3. Upper Saloum

1. Niani

2. Lower Saloum

1. Wulli

2. Sandu

3. Kanifing

Municipality

1. Niamina West

2. Janjanbureh

3. Banjul

13

CSR 2010

21

42. FAWEGAMs work in influencing education policy through advocacy, and demonstrative

interventions on what works in girls‟ education and influencing the replication and

mainstreaming of good practices has encouraged other partners such as the American Embassy

in The Gambia to support the work of FAWEGAM at the community level. The sum of US$

50,000 was made available to FAWEGAM from the American Embassy Emergency Fund to

distribute to ten Mothers‟ Clubs who were affected by the failed agricultural season of 2011 and

resulted in the food crisis for the Gambian farming populations. Some of the clubs invested the

money in their garden projects rather than on food items. Another opportunity that was afforded

the Mothers‟ Clubs by the American Embassy was the 'Empowering Rural Women Mobile

Phone Project.' The two-year pilot project which was launched in Nyakoi Taibatu in the Wulli

West District aims at enhancing the livelihoods of Mothers Clubs members through mobile

phone technology. One thousand mobile phones were distributed to members of the beneficiary

Mothers‟ Clubs with the intention of enhancing their socio-economic status and bridging

communication gaps amongst them. FAWEGAM is tasked with the overall responsibility of

monitoring and evaluation of the project and its overall impact. Philanthropic support is

provided by a Spanish couple to the Nyakoi Mothers‟ Club. These opportunities do not only

contribute to the sustainability of the Clubs but also enhances their capacity to communicate with

each other, increase their income and enables them to acquire additional resources.

3.5 The Intended and Unintended Outcomes of the Project

43. The main intention of the girls‟ education project was to contribute to the attainment of

gender parity in the basic education cycle in URR and KMC and to improve the retention rate of

girls in school. This would be attained by strengthening the advocacy skills of the Mothers‟

Clubs in the URR to improve attendance and retention of children in fifty child friendly

schools14

. Even though this outcome cannot be completely attributable to the efforts of

FAWEGAM, gender parity in enrolment has been attained at the Lower Basic level in education.

This achievement is due to the combination of joint efforts by different actors with FAWEGAM

playing its part.

44. Mothers‟ Clubs are the best known strategy of FAWEGAM. In all the eleven communities

visited the advocacy role of the Mothers‟ Club is acknowledged. They are the foremost

community based organization that promote girls education and have demonstrated a high level

of commitment to making it a reality by investing in it at the household and community level.

Investments in time, money and human resources by the members have resulted in the

mobilization of resources to support girls‟ education starting from ECD to the basic cycle.

45. Both the women and the girls have been empowered to speak out and are speaking out.

Entrenched socio-cultural values and norms do not enable them to see the correlation between

the gender division of labour and girls‟ retention and performance in school. The social

constructs still assign household chores to women and girls and the gender training that has been

14

Results Framework, PCA 2010

22

conducted at both the level of the Mothers‟ Clubs and the Tuseme Clubs have not brought about

a complete change of perceptions in this domain.

46. The Mothers‟ Club training manual has served as the main source of the capacity building

activities of FAWEGAM. The Mothers‟ Club members are putting the knowledge and skills

acquired into good use as is discerned in their advocacy, awareness creation and sensitization;

income generation and support activities. There is less success in women‟s participation in

political leadership. Due to entrenched socio cultural values and norms with regard to women‟s

participation in the decision making processes and to society‟s perceptions of politics the women

shy away from running for elected political positions.

47. Under the Project it was intended that FAWEGAM would produce a newsletter and other

advocacy materials that would be used to inform and educate the public about what FAWEGAM

does, document best practice and serve as a source of information for persons interested in

knowing more about the organization. This did not take place as the resources were not

available. Even though the intention was good as FAWEGAM had previously produced

newsletters of a high quality and value. In light of changing trends with respect to the print

media the need to save paper and cut down on costs as printing can be very expensive it may be

necessary to reassess the need for producing newsletters and other forms of print communication.

The possibility of producing an online newsletter should be explored. While the Mothers‟ Clubs

may not have easy access to an electronic newsletter the Tuseme Club members and partners can

access the newsletter online where the majority of people now look for the information they care

about.

48. An unintended outcome of the project is the role that the Mothers‟ Clubs are playing in

education financing by providing scholarships for needy students; hiring and paying caretakers;

providing support to school feeding; supporting ECD programmes and carrying out repairs and

maintenance of school furniture and buildings. By so doing they are contributing to the

attainment of not only the EFA gender goal (5) and the MDG (3) but to the other EFA goals and

the MDGs. These goals are indivisible and inter-related and for the Mother‟s Clubs to take this

holistic approach to their campaign is something that is highly noteworthy.

49. Another unintended outcome is that more girls are being enrolled in school than boys. The

intention was to reach parity and not to create another disparity. The EFA goal is for both girls

and boys to complete education of good quality. The focus on girls should not be to the

detriment of boys even though it is accepted that developments in girls‟ education benefits boys

too. If boys are not going to school or are dropping out of school because of the focus on girls

then this has to be addressed in any future intervention.

50. The male backlash as men and boys see the project as targeting women only is an unintended

outcome that has the potential of thwarting efforts. If the men are refusing to support the women

because “it is a Mothers‟ Club and not a fathers‟ club” it means that a key ally –the men and the

boys will not give the support required to support activities at the local level. Men and boys

need to be involved and are key partners in ensuring gender equity and equality.

23

51. Delays in disbursements from UNICEF and sometimes reductions in sums requested

impacted negatively on the implementation of some of the activities as participants or the

number of days is to be reduced in some instance.

3.6 Girls and Women Empowerment

3.6.1 Empowering Girls to Speak Out: TUSEME

52. FAWEGAM adopted the “Tuseme”, strategy as a means of training girls to express their

views openly on matters that affect their personal, academic and social development and to learn

to take part in finding solutions to those problems. According to Penina Mlama (2005),

“Tuseme is an empowerment process designed to enable girls to understand the gender construct

of the society they live in, to identify and analyze the emergent problems and how they hinder

their academic and social development, to speak out about the problems and take action to solve

them”. Tuseme is an original and innovative approach that uses an inclusive rights-based gender

responsive approach which aims at breaking the yoke of the culture of silence which has

perpetuated oppression and subservience of African girls and women for centuries.

53. Tuseme was launched in The Gambia at St. George‟s UBS in Basse, in the URR in 2007.

Since then Tuseme clubs have been established in seven schools in Regions 1, 5 and Region 6.

Six (85.71%) out of the seven Tuseme Clubs were set up under the girls education project. All

six of these were visited for the FGDs. FAWEGAM had conducted training for 50 students (30

girls and 20 boys) in all but one of the six schools- Latrikunda UBS - where only 30 were trained

(20 girls and 10 boys). All the Tuseme Clubs have maintained the level of membership except

for St. Mulumba‟s where there has been a 30% decrease in the original numbers. This is

attributed to the departure of the teacher coordinator who played a proactive role in the running

of Tuseme in the school. This is a sustainability issue which needs to be studied. For the

departure of a teacher coordinator should not result in waning interest.

54. Both boys and girls are included in the Tuseme clubs which use persuasive and effective

processes to bring about the desired behavior changes. All the 140 respondents acknowledge the

empowering role of Tuseme which has enabled them to talk on issues ranging from GBV in and

around the school; traditional practices including early and forced marriages and FGM/C as well

as domestic work to name a few. Using participatory communication to inform and educate the

public the Tuseme club members have on their own initiative organized talk and talent shows.

For example the St. Therese‟s Tuseme club members made arrangements for the group to appear

on the Fatou Show on GRTS - the weekly talk show programme that promotes young talent and

development issues blended with entertainment. The Tuseme Clubs in the GBA have also had

radio talk shows on the Kids with Talent Radio. The Nassir Ahmadiya Tuseme Club organizes

weekly radio programmes every Wednesday and also carries out awareness creation and

sensitization activities visits in schools, hospitals and market.

55. These activities have yielded positive outcomes on the school and community. Anecdotal

evidence from the FGDs suggest that the incidence of early sexual activity, early marriages and

24

teenage pregnancies in schools and school drop-outs among girls and the incidence of GBV have

reduced considerably; interactions between male and female students have improved and are

based on mutual respect; family dialogue has improved and parents are now discussing

reproductive health and other issues with their wards and children thus preventing them from

adopting risky behaviours. One of the teacher coordinators attributed these outcomes to the

inclusive nature of the Tuseme programme which “has taken everyone on board, made people

to be bold enough to speak out and change some of the negative notions towards women.”

Graph 8: Number of Students Trained in Tuseme in the GBA and URR

56. The current membership of the Tuseme Clubs in the schools visited is indicated in the table

below:

Table 3: Membership of the Tuseme clubs in the six schools visited in Region 1 and 6

Tuseme Club by LGA No. of years in

existence

No. of Members

Upper River Region

St. Georges Basse 5 46

Nassir Ahmad, Basse 4 63

St. Mulumba‟s, Basse 5 35

Kanifing Municipality

St. Theresa‟s 3 58

Greater Banjul 3 48

Latrikunda Upper Basic School 1 37

Total membership in the 6 schools 287

25

57. Tuseme sessions utilize a variety of participatory and interactive techniques such as skits,

debates, quizzes, role play, small group discussions, theatre for development, peer health

counselling, news reporting, poetry writing and reading and other exploratory learning

techniques that are meant to equip girls with self-confidence, problem-solving, negotiation,

critical thinking and other interpersonal development skills. These techniques do not only

embolden students to speak out but it provides them with the life skills that enable them to

engage with their peers, their parents, teachers and the wider community to make their views

and opinions known and felt. Creativity and innovation is promoted as the students plan for the

various activities that they engage in thus enhancing their writing and reading skills. Using

different channels of communication to show their capabilities and talents has inspired them to

become self-confident and assertive and to develop organizational and planning skills.

58. The schools support the programme by allowing the Tuseme clubs to organize the

programmes in and out of school; putting in place codes of conduct and policies that protect their

rights to access education in a friendly, safe and secure environment free from corporal

punishment, sexual harassment and other forms of GBV; scholarships are provided for needy

girls (Nasir Ahmadiya, St. Georges and Latrikunda) and have facilitated access to school and

community resources. Gender responsive pedagogy is used and disciplinary measures are taken

against perpetrators of GBV. FAWEGAM has provided training for the club members and the

teachers. According to one of the teachers “they educated us to a high level about the

programme and introduced us to issues that we knew very little or nothing about. They are

supportive and are open to us”. (Tuseme teacher coordinator, St. Mulumba’s Basse, UBS).

All the Tuseme Clubs have Executives that provide the leadership for the membership. Some of

the clubs are more active than others and have conducted a series of activities to ensure their

sustainability. These include the holding of luncheon sales (St. Mulumba‟s); football matches

(St. Theresa‟s); and quiz competitions (Nassir Ahmadiya) to raise resources for the clubs and

Fun Days to promote networking.

59. The impact of Tuseme on the thinking of the respondents was assessed by asking the

questions contained in the tables 4, 5, 6 and 7 below to ascertain their assertiveness, and self-

confidence and to determine to what level they had become gender sensitive. Gender sensitivity

is a desired outcome of the Tuseme programme as it is critical to addressing unequal

relationships within the households. The reason for including boys in the programme is to

“empower them to understand their unequal gender positioning and the need to support and

accept gender equality as a human right”. The responses contained in the tables below indicate

the extent to which girls have acquired self-confidence, self-esteem and independence which are

important ingredients for them to be able to speak out.

60. Responses given to question 1 in table 4 indicate that the girls are self-assertive and confident

and believe in themselves as all of them agree that “success depends on self-determination”. This

should impact positively on school performance for self-determination goes with application and

to excel in school then one needs to apply oneself. Giving up easily in the face of challenge

especially when confronted with difficulties in studying subjects such as SMT that were regarded

as male domains had resulted in mediocrity and low achievement even outside the academic

sphere. Acknowledgement by 86.95% of the respondents that irrespective of their gender they

26

can do any job is an important change of mind-set especially from the perspective of the gender

division of labour even though this is not borne out by the responses in table 6. The majority of

respondents (69.56%) disagree with the statement that boys outperform girls in schools. The

reality however is that boys do outperform girls in school and more needs to be done by the girls

to compete boys in school.

61. Question 7 is about taking responsibility for one‟s action rather than blaming others for the

consequences of one‟s decisions and the majority of respondents (66.08%) indicated that they do

take responsibility for their actions. This is positive as it shows that the messages on

responsibilities are taking root. If girls are empowered to stand up for their rights then they also

need to take their responsibilities seriously. More than a third however (33.91%) of the

respondents still play the blame game indicating that a significant number still do not take

responsibility for their decisions. Thinking with the heart rather than with the head is still a

phenomenon for 95% of the respondents. This has implications for logical thinking on the part

of the young people who would rather go with the heart than with the head. Responding

emotionally to situations can result in wrong decision making with disastrous outcomes such as

early and unwanted pregnancy. Dependency is inherent in the final question where 47.82% of

respondents think that they will be taken care of. It is positive that 52.17% of the respondents

demonstrate independence by disagreeing with the statement.

Table 4 Girls Assertiveness and Self Confidence

No Items Agree Disagree

No. % No. %

1 Success depends on self-determination. 115 100.00 - -

2 A good girl shows complete obedience to the boy or man

she really loves.

56 48.69 59 51.30

3 A girl can achieve as much as a boy. 114 99.25 1 0.86

4 Boys perform better than girls academically. 35 30.43 80 69.56

5 A person can do any job regardless of gender 100 86.95 15 13.04

6 You always consult people taking a decision 109 94.78% 6 5.21

7 You blame people for the consequences of your

decisions

39 33.91 95 66.08

8 You change your mind based on your feelings. 95 82.60 20 17.39

9 Your parents or your husband will always take care of

you.

55 47.82 60 52.17

62. There are conflicting results emanating from responses in Table 5. The responses to

questions 1-3 demonstrate that students have a high level of self-esteem whereas responses to

questions 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 indicate manifestations of low self-esteem among the girls. Self-

esteem is important to the girls‟ success and learning in school and in later life. It affects their

behaviour and thoughts and how they feel about and value themselves. Low self-esteem results

in a poor self-image which erodes their self-confidence which affects their ability to rise to any

challenge and to attain happiness or success. This makes them particularly vulnerable as they

lack the social skills that enable them to socialize without falling into harm. These responses are

27

critical and Tuseme coordinators need to focus more on building the self-esteem of the girls so

that they develop self-worth and the self-respect that will make them comfortable to be who they

are and to succeed in and out of school. The responses to questions 8 and 10 are encouraging

and give the sense that the girls do believe in themselves after all even though they do

demonstrate some self-doubt at times.

Table 5: Questions about the girl’s self esteem

Agree Disagree

No. Item No. % No. %

1 I feel that I am a person of worth 110 95.65 5 4.37

2 I feel that I have a number of good qualities. 110 95.65 5 4.37

3 I am able to do things as well as most other

people.

111 96.52 4 3.47

4 I feel I do not have much to be proud of. 53 46.08 62 53.91

5 On the whole, I am satisfied with myself 21 18.26 94 81.73

6 I wish I could have more respect for myself. 96 83.47 19 16.52

7 I certainly feel useless at times. 89 77.39 26 22.60

8 All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a failure. 0 0 115 100.00

9 At times I think I am no good at all. 54 46.95 61 53.04

10 I take a positive attitude toward myself. 115 100.00 0 0

63. In The Gambia like in many African communities, girls are socialized into different gender

roles that undermine their participation in school and ultimately affect their performance in

national examinations. Evidence of this is found in the study undertaken by MoBSE entitled “A

Girl‟s Performance Assessment Study” in October 2009 to find out if there were improvements

or otherwise in the performance of girls in regions 3, 4, 5 and 6 as a result of the Scholarship

Trust Fund (STF) intervention. The study indicates that girls are not performing in school and

the majority of them are not mastering the skills in literacy and numeracy in spite of the

scholarships that were awarded to them. Domestic work stood out to be the single dominant

factor affecting the performance of female students in the study. Non-performance result in

withdrawal for marriage or other purposes.

64. For any meaningful transformation to take place in the division of labour girls must

participate in efforts to eliminate the discrimination and inequalities they face in their homes and

communities. Table 6 below shows that household chores are still viewed as female roles.

Household chores have been identified as having a negative impact on the performance of girls

in school thus it is important to create awareness about the consequences of the heavy burden

which is placed on girls to the detriment of their studies and to change the mind-sets of the girls

and boys as to who should do what within the sexual division of labour. There is an unequal

distribution of tasks in the household as seen in the responses given to questions 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

This results in women and girls having less time to devote to their studies and to other

development activities. This is one area where the girls should be empowered to speak out

against so that roles are equitably shared in households. The majority of respondents (73.04%)

agree with the statement that women “make family decisions.” This is a significant development

28

in women‟s participation in the decision making processes in the household confirming an

important outcome of the sensitization and awareness creation activities.

Table 6: Family Duties Ascribed to Women by the Girls.

No

.

Items Agree Disagree

No. % No. %

1 Making family decisions 84 73.04 31 26.95

2 Carrying firewood 87 75.65 28 24.34

3 Cooking 115 100.00 - -

4. Fetching water 96 83.47 19 16.52

5 Doing the laundry 115 100.00 - -

6 Taking care of the children 115 100.00 - -

7 Taking children to school 115 100.00 - -

8 Looking after the baby 115 100.00 - -

9 Paying house rent 54 46.95 61 53.12

10 Doing minor repairs in the house 54 46.95 61 53.12

11 Providing money for food 54 46.95 61 53.12

12 Maintaining the family car - - 115 100

13 Taking the car to the mechanic - - 115 100

14 Attending PTA meetings 71 61.73 44 38.26

15 Attending political party meetings 71 61.73 44 38.26

65. Table 7 below shows that a significant number (46.95%) of the respondents still see women

as followers rather than leaders. Similarly, 58% see them as subordinate to men. Women‟s

subordinate positioning had contributed to their voicelessness and dependence; exclusion from

the decision making processes and to a lack of access and control of resources and benefits.

Ascribing decision making to women in the table above and still seeing them as subordinate to

men indicates that a large number of respondents are yet to internalize the concepts of

independent judgement on the part of women. The majority of respondents however do want to

see women in top leadership positions. On the other hand 55% of respondents cannot see a

woman heading a political party. This is the pathway to the top political position and the girls

need to be aware that this is a challenge that they have to face if they want to participate in

political development of the country.

Table 7: Extent of Girls’ Confidence in Female Leadership.

No Items Agree Disagree

No. % No. %

1 Men lead and women follow 54 46.95 61 53.00

2 Women are subordinate to men 58 50.43 57 49.56

3 You want The Gambia to have a female Head of State 90 78.26 25 21.73

4 You want a female Governor in your region 96 83.47 19 16.52

5 You will like to work under a female leader 90 78.26 25 21.73

6 Women cannot lead 9 7.82 106 92.17

29

7 Women cannot head a political party 60 52.17 55 47.82

8 Women constitute half of the country‟s population and

therefore should have a say in the way in which it is run

95 82.60 20 17.39

66. The responses given by the girls in the table above are corroborated by the responses given to

statements in the table 8 below. It is evident that there are significant changes in the way that

people perceive the gender roles except in one area where there is consensus across the board.

“Boys doing household chores” is still unacceptable as can be seen by the low level of

respondents 33.33% in URR, 26.92% in CRR and 36% in GBA. Even though the GBA is

supposedly a cosmopolitan urban setting with a heterogeneous population it is evident that there

is a commonality in the way the gender division of labour cuts across all ethnic groups and in

both urban and rural settings. The Mothers‟ Clubs need to be more aware of how the heavy

burden of household work is impacting on the performance of girls in school and address this

within the socialization processes within the household and within their community awareness

and sensitization activities. The request by the Mothers‟ Club for labour saving devices is

pertinent as this is one way of reducing the heavy burden of household chores on the women and

the girls.

Table 8: Effects of the Project at the Household Level

No Effect Response

URR CRR GBA

1 Improved household relationships 66.66% 30.76% 80%

2 Women are participating in the decision making processes 75% 74.61% 80%

3 Girls are being sent to school 87.50% 74.61% 88%

4 Boys are doing household chores 33.33% 26.92% 36%

5 Reduction in early marriages 62.50% 54.61% 80%

6 Reduction in harmful traditional practices 62.50% 68.46% 60%

7 Mothers are talking more to children about S/RH issues 62.50% 54.61% 76%

8 Reduction in GBV 50% 30.76% 60%

3.6.2 Take Our Daughters to Work

67. The take our daughter to work programme is an innovative and cost effective strategy that

links girls from rural areas to professional women in the urban areas. By taking the girls away

from their milieu and placing them with highly placed and successful professional woman it is

expected that the girls can expand their horizons and aim high by having a role model to emulate.

During the duration of the week long programme the girls are expected to learn from the

encounter what the life of a working woman entails-the benefits and the challenges. The mentor

is also expected to provide the girl with life experiences and lessons that would enable her see

things from a different perspective and serve as a source of inspiration to excel in her studies and

to take up a career in the formal job market.

30

68. The programme involves teaming a girl with a professional woman. FAWEGAM arranges

the placement which involves selecting girls from the education regions in collaboration with the

regional education directorates and placing them under the care and mentorship of a professional

woman for a week. The girls are supposed to be high achievers and the host mothers are

identified for the work that they do and their contributions to society. The placement is mindful

of the girl‟s safety and other protection issues thus both the home and the place of work are safe

and secure environments for the girls. Host mothers were drawn from a wide range of

institutions including government (the supreme court, The Gambia Police Department, the

Museum, The Gambia Radio and Television Services, Gambia Technical Training Institute);

non-governmental organizations (Association for the Promotion of Women and Girls

Advancement, the EFA Campaign Network, Gambia Teachers Union, Female Lawyers

Association of The Gambia) and the private sector (Julbrew, TRY Oyster, Bakau Garden,

Kairaba supermarket, ARCH 22, GTTI and Ida‟s Ideas Tailoring Shop).

69. There is a high level of interest and support in the programme as all three of them indicate

that they will participate again as they believe in the aims objectives of FAWEGAM and what it

is trying to achieve. The professional women they believe they have an obligation to not only

support FAWEGAM but to support girls to reach their maximum potential. Learning and

sharing is enhanced as well as friendship, solidarity and networking between rural and urban

households. One of the hosts interviewed supported her ward to acquire secondary schooling by

getting her a scholarship. One of the girls who was interviewed found the experience to be very

rewarding and beneficial. As the girls stay with the women the costs of feeding and

accommodation are reduced. As the programme are interspersed with lecture series, visits and

other activities that enhanced learning and sharing other costs are incurred by FAWEGAM.

These are reduced as it is the host mother that takes the girl to and from the place where the

activity is being held.

70. One of the host mothers complained about the inability of her ward to communicate in

English. One of the targets of the girls‟

education programme is to: “encourage

the girls to read and write in English.”

Proficiency in English is critical to their

chances of having formal sector

employment. Greater attention should be

paid to this especially as the girls were

reported to be among the best.

The professional women recommend

that:

i. The scheme should be replicated

by institutions and organizations

working with girls;

ii. A tracking system should be put

in place to trace the girls who

participated in the programme to

know if they are using the skills

“It is a useful programme. I learnt about the girls interest in learning from me and about their own backgrounds as well. I learnt that even though the girls are said to be high performers, the level of their language is really below standard and we had to resort to using the local languages most of the time. Host Mother: Take our Daughters to Work.

31

and knowledge gained from the encounter and what changes if any it contributed to their

lives;

iii. Guidance notes should be provided for the “host mothers” so that they can better support

the girls.

3.6.3 The Science, Mathematics and Technology (SMT) Programme

71. Many girls in The Gambia as in other parts of Sub Saharan Africa do not participate much or

perform well in SMT subjects. This is due to a combination of factors such as cultural practices

and attitudes and biased teaching and learning materials, all of which perpetuates an imbalance.

FAWEGAM uses the FAWE model to increase and sustain access, interest, participation and

performance of girls in SMT subjects at all levels. The model trains teachers to adopt and use

SMT curricula, teaching and learning materials and classroom practices that are gender-

responsive. The SMT model features extensive use of activities and resources including:

Science camps and clubs.

Study tours.

Profiles on women achievers in science-based fields.

Exposure to role models.

Awards to female achievers in SMT subjects.

72. During the period under review FAWEGAM organized SMT clinics in five out of the six

educational regions. The SMT clinics are an opportunity for the girls to identify themselves with

role models in these subject areas, participate in practical activities, and visit places of scientific

importance. Overall the general assessment is that the clinics have contributed to changing

attitudes on girls‟ enrolment in courses that were traditionally the preserve of boys. The numbers

that are targeted (25 per region) means that a lot more has to be done in order to reach the critical

mass of girls that are required in order to achieve the desired level that can make lasting and

meaningful changes. Findings from one of the schools show that the performance of girls in

Mathematics and Science has also improved.

Table 9: GIRLS PERFORMANCE IN MATHS AND SCIENCE IN WASSCE NASIR

AHMADIYYA MUSLIM SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL-BASSE

YEAR No. of Girls that Sat

to the Examination

No. Passed

Mathematics

No. Passed Science

2011 27 5 10

2010 12 1 2

2009 22 0 2

2008 17 0 10

2007 25 0 10

Source: Principal Nassir Ahmadiya Senior Secondary School 2012

32

3.7 Linkages with Other partners at the Community Level

73. FAWEGAM works with governmental (Gender Unit of the MoBSE, the department of

Community Development and the Women‟s Bureau); intergovernmental organizations (UNFPA

and African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS) and NGOs (Education

for All Campaign Network, the Child Protection Alliance, the Association of Non-Governmental

Organisations (TANGO), and West Africa Network for Peace Building to name a few) other

organizations that contributed to the attainment of its objectives of attaining gender equality in

education.

74. Under the partnership with Women‟s Bureau funded by UNFPA FAWEGAM organized

“bantabas” for men as part of its education and advocacy to fight GBV. These efforts are

effective to the extent that they have mobilized men and boys as partners and advocates in

supporting the campaign to fight GBV which has served as a barrier for girls‟ participation in

education. In collaboration with other partners it has promoted rights based approaches to

education; mobilized resources for scholarships for girls and needy boys and given a voice to the

women through the “raising her voice project.” Staff of these organizations served as resource

persons during the training of the Mothers‟ clubs and Tuseme Clubs and provided technical

backstopping when needed. However some of the cluster monitors of the MoBSE claimed that

they have been excluded “we are here yet they pass us by.” Consequently they know very little

about the Girls‟ Education Project in spite of their strategic positioning on the ground.

75. FAWEGAM is a member of the Coordinating Committee Meeting (CCM) of the MoBSE

and the Local Education Group (LEG) supporting donor partnership. This affords FAWEGAM

the opportunity to advocate and lobby on relevant issues that are of concern to FAWEGAM.

Participation in the Joint Donor Reviews (JDR) which are held every six months

(June/December) and brings together donors, high-level decision-makers and experts in

education management from bilateral, multilateral, international NGOs, local NGOs,

Conferences of Principals and head teachers, senior secondary school, upper basic and lower

basic schools, among other government institutions provides a space and voice for FAWEGAM

which enables it to bring to the table issues of girls and women‟s education which are already

high on the national and global agendas and thus have a sympathetic ear to listen to.

76. The Take Our Daughters Programme has built bridges between rural and urban households

by linking girls from the rural areas to professional women with whom they would not have had

any ties. The relationships that have been built have sustained in the majority of encounters.

The girls have a reference point as the host mothers still have a role to play in their lives.

33

Chapter 4: Lessons learnt, Conclusions and Recommendations

4.1 Lessons Learnt

77. Motivating, engaging, leading and supporting skills and knowledge transfer for sustainability

has been a main feature of good practices that were employed in implementing the project. The

good practices in girls‟ education implemented by FAWEGAM are contextual, relevant,

practical, and cost-effective, based on a needs assessment of issues and provide evidence of

impact. These practices are easily applicable, eliminate discrimination against girls and ensure

girls‟ empowerment, target specific groups and gender relations, and are gender-responsive.

They are participatory as they involve a wide range of stakeholders involving within and outside

the school-the teachers and school management, the community, the girls and boys.

78. Good practices go hand-in-hand with good policy. The Education Policy 2004-2015 and the

Master Plan for Education 2006-2015 ensure gender mainstreaming and rights based approaches

to education. FAWEGAM‟s strength lies in unique and direct links with MoBSE, funding

partners and a wide array of education stakeholders. As a strategy to reach more girls within the

disadvantaged regions of the country FAWEGAM continues to form strong partnerships with

organizations and agencies at the local, national and continental level.

79. Partnerships have broadened FAWEGAMs geographical spread, reach and visibility. Some

are high-profile partnerships such as the CCM and the LEG, partnerships with the Women‟s

Bureau and other NGOs and CBOs have strengthened FAWEGAMs pursuit for gender equality.

The harnessing of synergies and pooling of resources and working on EFA in a gender sensitive

way has enabled FAWEGAM to achieve these goals.

80. The results of the sensitization activities and information sharing by FAWEGAM on the

importance of girls‟ education provided opportunities for the mothers‟ to identify the needs of

their daughters educational needs in school; assess their own needs and the problems

encountered in educating their daughters in school and find solutions to these problems.

FAWEGAMs Mothers‟ Clubs are active and advocate, mentor and share their knowledge,

expertise and resources to accelerate girls‟ educational access, retention and performance.

81. The Mothers‟ Club Training Manual is a very innovative and useful document. Its usefulness

can further be enhanced by simplifying the text and translating it into the national languages for

use by the Mothers‟ Clubs in their literacy classes. By so doing the literacy skills of the

participants is enhanced and they would have access to the written text to use as reference when

necessary. FAWEGAM can collaborate with the literacy providers to ensure the use of these

materials in the functional literacy classes.

82. The teachers in the Tuseme schools are enthusiastic and positive about the project but there is

need to institutionalize the classroom and school practices that can be regarded as the pathways

for gender transformation. This means that a lot needs to be done in the area of monitoring.

Building the capacity of the cluster monitors in the education regions to do the monitoring would

cut down on costs and enhance the programme.

34

83. Girls are provided with the skills that inspire confidence to speak out. Entrenched socio-

cultural values and norms still influence gender stereotypes in the division of labour. This will

require fundamental changes in the socialization processes within the households and sustained

behaviour change communication to bring about the desired changes.

84. In spite of these significant gains there are still gender disparities. It is clear however, that

unless quicker and strategic action is taken to address these gaps, the targets set out in the PCA

especially for the URR will not be met. For scaling up, it is not a question of selecting either one

practice or another. All the practices have demonstrated that they have the potential of

contributing to girls and women‟s empowerment and to the attainment of the EFA and MDGs.

Ownership by the women and girls of these practices indicated that scale up can be implemented

with relatively limited cost implications.

85. More awareness is needed at the community level especially in the CRR. The approach

should not only target girls and women but men and boys as well. Men and boys who have been

involved have positively responded but there are still some who need to change their attitudes

and mind-sets.

86. FAWEGAM needs to be strengthened at all levels-governance, management and school and

community, structures to increase their knowledge and competencies to harness the power of the

mobilization and activism of FAWEGAM. The board members in particular need training and

capacity building to ensure that they know about the organization that they are providing

leadership for and use this knowledge to support the organization.

87. Scale-up of the good practices is essential to get on track to meet the EFA goals. However,

scale-up does not happen without the required resources. FAWEGAM will need to be supported

with the additional resources to bring its activities to scale.

88. FAWEGAM will need to develop new and innovative strategies of resource mobilization in

light of new developments in the regional level that will necessitate the weaning off of some of

the national chapters. In light of this threat it is to its funding situation FAWEGAM will need to

develop new resource mobilization strategies that will allow the organization to grow in strategic

and sustainable ways in future years.

89. An online newsletter is not only a tool for communicating with a group of interested people,

but also for engaging their attention and strengthening their loyalty and commitment. On line

news letters are a cost effective means of communicating as they cost nothing in postage or paper

or printing. And if the recipient doesn't want to read them, they are easily deleted, without

wasting paper. An online newsletter is a high-powered, easy to use tool for expanding outreach.

35

4.2 Conclusions

90. The Girls Education Project (2009-2011) has been successful in attaining the targets

indicated in the results framework of the project. Even though there are still disparities in access

in the URR and CRR based on gender, location and wealth considerations it is encouraging to

note that Wulli and Sandu districts in the URR have higher enrolment rates than expected despite

supply being below average15

. This attests to the fact that the Mothers Clubs have played a key

role boosting enrolments and attendance of girls in these areas. FAWEGAM has found a

powerful ally in the Mother Clubs and this relationship has to be nurtured as study after study

shows that educated mothers ensure that their children are also educated. The education of the

mothers through a variety of innovative strategies has built their capacity to not only have a say

in their children‟s education but to “put their hands where their mouths” are by making

investments in their schooling from ECD upwards. The Mother‟s Clubs provide a good entry

point for interventions that contribute to the attainment of the EFA goals in 2015 and beyond.

91. Even though gender parity has been attained at the Lower Basic national level it is important

to look behind this data. From a policymaking perspective, further disaggregation is needed to

better identify those children most at risk of educational exclusion. For example, the combination

of sex and location of residence reveals that girls from rural areas are more likely to be out of

school than boys from rural areas and children of either sex from urban areas. The biggest

disparity exists between rural girls and urban boys. It is also important to consider the

combination of sex and household wealth and ethnicity and religion.

92. The life span of the project is too short (2010-2011) to establish whether the girls enrolled in

primary 1 in 2010 will complete the cycle. This can only be established in 2015 the deadline for

the EFA goals and the related MDGs.

93. Poor learning outcomes influence parental and community perceptions on the value of girls‟

education and on the part of the girls themselves and limit their further education and decent job

opportunities. Household chores have impacted on the ability of girls to carry out their home

studies effectively. Gender stereotypes are still strong in the division of labour within the

household and there is the need to eliminate these stereotypes or to provide labour saving devices

in communities that will reduce the workload on the women and girls.

94. Girls should not be limited to certain subject areas in their training and education by any

constraint other than their own choice. The SMT Clinics and the Take Our Daughters to Work

Programme has attempted to break the psychological barriers that prevent girls from

participating in these subjects and to reach out to higher heights. It tells the girls that it is okay to

dream but that these dreams have to be backed by hard work, determination and success. The

programmes are limited in nature however and need to be scaled up to increase participation.

15

C SR 2010

36

4.3 Recommendations

4.3.1 UNICEF

95. Provide the financial resources to scale up good practices- the Mother‟s Clubs, Tuseme

Clubs, Take Our Daughters to Work and SMT Clinics are not only innovative but cost effective.

They contribute to positive behaviour change and support the transformation of society.

96. Strengthen the Mother‟s Clubs by providing them with resources such as labour saving

devices that will reduce their workload and that of their daughters, earn them independent and

disposable income and free the women to participate in other development activities particularly

the decision making institutions.

97. Support the conduct of tracer studies to (i) determine the number of children enrolled in

primary school in 2010 in the URR and CRR who complete the cycle; (ii) the girls who attend

SMT Clinics and actually continue their studies in these subjects and take up employment in

related job areas (iii) the girls who participated in the Take our Daughters to Work and what type

of work they are employed in.

98. Provide institutional support to FAWEGAM to enable it carry out its duties effectively.

4.3.2 FAWEGAM

99. Scale up good practices that you are currently involved in particularly the Tuseme Clubs,

Take Our Daughters to Work and SMT Clinics.

100. Strengthen the existing Mothers‟ Clubs instead of creating new ones. The existing Mothers‟

Clubs have demonstrated that they have the determination and willingness to bring about

meaningful and transformative changes. Providing them with the knowledge skills and resources

will enable them to sustain their gains as they will have the voice and the power to participate in

the decision making processes in the public and private domains.

101. Promote learning and sharing between the Mothers‟ Clubs through study visits to strong

Mothers Clubs and to Child Friendly Schools. Such learning will inspire the emulation of best

practices

102. Involve the men and the boys. Expand the outreach to include religious, traditional and

opinion leaders and male members of the community. Since most of the gender constraints to

education emanate from the deeply entrenched cultural values, attitudes and practices

perpetuated by the beliefs of these categories of people it is important that they be brought on

board so that many of the community practices that serve as barriers to their participation will be

removed.

37

103. Put in place a scholarship scheme for girls that want to pursue their studies in the Science,

Mathematics and Technical subjects especially those who have the potential to do well in this

subjects. Mobilize resources from non-traditional partners to support the scholarship

programme.

104. Conduct tracer studies to (i) determine the number of children enrolled in primary school in

2010 in the URR and CRR who complete the cycle; (ii) the girls who attend SMT Clinics and

actually continue their studies in these subjects and take up employment in related job areas (iii)

the girls who participated in the Take our Daughters to Work and what type of work they are

employed in.

105. Train non-traditional partners such as the cluster monitors of the MoBSE and staff of

Community Development Directorate so that they monitor programmes and conduct step down

training for sustainability.

106. Revise the Mothers‟ Club Training Manual to take on new and emerging trends in

development such as climate change. Translate the manual into national languages so that it can

be used as a standard text in the Functional Literacy classes as post literacy material.

107. Enhance visibility of FAWEGAM to showcase the good work that the organization is

doing. Multimedia approaches should be used to inform and educate the public and other

stakeholders about the work of the organization. An online newsletter should be part of the

media outlets.

38

REFERENCES

Country Status Report 2010

Early Childhood in Africa Newsletter of the Africa Early Childhood Care and Development

Initiative, Issue II, January 2010, Fast Track Initiative, World Bank

Early Childhood Care and Education Regional Report: Africa. World Conference on Early

Childhood Care and Education; UNESCO 2011

Evaluation Report of the Sixth Country Programme (2007-2011)

FAWEGAM Organizational Self Assessment

FAWEGAM 1st Quarter Reports

FAWEGAM Strategic Plan 2008-2012

The Gambia AIDS and HIV, http://www.accessgambia.com/information/aids-hiv.html

Girls Education in Africa, Tembon, Mercy et al, the World Bank

Gender and Education for Rural People by Penina Mlama, Executive Director, FAWE

Girl‟s Education. Designing for Success.

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTEDUCATION/0,,contentMDK:2

1054645~menuPK:617572~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:282386,00.html

KMC Progress Reports

MDG-3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women,

http://mdgpolicynet.undg.org/ext/MDG-Good-

Practices/mdg3/MDG3A_Gambia_Child_Friendly_School_Initiative.pdf

National Education Policy 2004-2015

National Master Plan for Education 2006-2015

Programme Cooperation Agreement with Forum For African Women Educationalists

Quality and Gender Equality in Education: What Have We Learned from FAWE‟s 15 Years of

Experience? Codou Diaw, in Girls‟ Education in the 21st Century, Gender Equality,

Empowerment, and Economic Growth, Mercy Tembon et al, A World Bank Publication, August

2008

Quarterly Activity Progress Reports, Tuseme 10

39

Quarter Four Progress Reports on Monitoring in the URR, CRR, NBR and LRR

UNICEF‟S Child-Friendly Schools: Gambia Case Study, UNICEF Gambia Country Office,

December 2009

40

Annexe 1:

TERMS OF REFERENCE

EVALUATION TITLE: FORUM FOR AFRICAN WOMEN EDUCATIONALIST

(GAM ) EVALUATION GIRLS’ EDUCATION PROJECT IN THE GAMBIA

1. Background

In The Gambia over 60 per cent of the people live in poverty. Women constitute 63 per cent of

the poor, and 76 per cent of all the poor live in rural areas. Approximately 530,000 children and

youth are characterized as poor. Lack of access to basic social services for a large part of the

population increases the depth of poverty, especially in rural areas; and the disparities which are

evident within and across regions, both in rural and urban settings, have an adverse impact on

health, education, and child protection. In education, there are still major gaps in reaching the

most disadvantaged children. In 2010, some 31.6 per cent of children aged 7–15 years were out

of school. The most disadvantaged children are in the eastern parts of the country, where a poor

girl has virtually little chance of completing secondary education. Nearly 46% of the household

income of the poor is spent on education, representing a significant burden on families (CSR

2010)

The Government of The Gambia has endeavoured to provide quality Basic Education for all

children in the country in order to attain the EFA targets and Gender Parity goals which resulted

in an overall increase in GER to 88% in 2010 (CSR), with Net Enrolment Rates for Girls‟

nearing 70% (EMIS). These successes notwithstanding, there are still pockets of low enrolment

when this data is disaggregated by region and districts. Girls‟ access to and retention in education

in particular continues to be problematic; the underlying causes limiting girls‟ participation in

education are mainly cultural, religious and economic. Many parents are suspicious of Western

education and see it as a treat to their „traditional‟ values and customs especially when it comes

to sending their daughters to school. Positively influencing attitudes and overcoming the barriers

to girl‟s education is a major challenge to the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education

(MoBSE) and its development partners. The question of how to reach girls who are out of school

remains high on the National Education agenda. To make any significant breakthroughs

intensive advocacy is necessary. In doing so an appreciation of what the communities already

know in terms of their culture and beliefs would have to form the basis of any dialogue and

negotiation to influence their attitudes and behaviours to send their girl children to formal

schools.

It is against this background that the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE-GAM)

in collaboration with UNICEF is supporting the MoBSE to improve the status of girls‟ education

nationally. FAWE-GAM‟s core competency is its comprehensive knowledge of the intervention

environment and its ability to organise and work in small groups to bring about needed change

and has been working in this field for over 12 years. FAWE-GAM with UNICEF support is

supporting the MoBSE to improve the status of girl‟s education nationally and in specific regions

such as Upper River Region (URR) where the enrolment rate is lowest when compared with

other regions.

41

Specifically the objectives for FAWE‟s support included the following:

Net enrolment rates in Lower Basic schools increased to 80% from 70% in 2008.

Attendance rates for girls improved.

100 mothers clubs enabled to generate income to sustain advocacy for increased

enrolment, retention and attendance for children in school.

Promoting women‟s participation in social policy development through the training of the

members and the executives of the network of mothers clubs.

Promote gender equity and equality in education in The Gambia by fostering positive

policies, practices and attitudes towards girl‟s education.

2. Purpose of the evaluation

As set out in the Program Cooperation Agreement (PCA), an evaluation of the overall project

will be conducted at the end of the 2 (two) years to provide information on the success of the

project and or constraints and challenges that remain. The evaluation will assist FAWE-GAM in

building on successful strategies undertaken as part of the project and to fill any gaps or

overcome any constraints that they may have encountered during implementation. Furthermore

MoBSE will be able to use these findings in strengthening its policy on girls‟ education and the

implementation of the Program for Improved Quality Standards in Schools (PIQSS). Also, as

UNICEF is coming to the end of its Country Programme 2007-2011, this evaluation will inform

the planning and implementation for the forthcoming Country Programme 2012-2016. In 2010-

2011 FAWE has conducted the following activities that will be evaluated:

TUSEME workshops in Child Friendly schools

Take our Daughters to work activity

Girls camps

Science Math and Technology clinics

Printing and dissemination of FAWE GAM newsletter and advocacy materials

Provision of seed money and training for Mothers clubs

Skills training of 100 mothers clubs

National Mothers Club day

Training of 100 mothers clubs members in advocacy, leadership and gender

Capacity Building of 100 Mothers Club in using the training manual

NB: The series of trainings provided for the mothers clubs were based on the topics in the

training manual covering such topics as partnerships and networking, advocacy, Child Friendly

School initiative Resource mobilization, income generating activities, literacy, sustainability of

the initiative and HIV/AIDS prevention.

3. Objectives of the evaluation

The evaluation will be conducted in all regions where FAWE-GAM have conducted the

workshops/clinics/camps for girls and the training of the Mothers‟ clubs and provided support

for them to support girls‟ education.

The main objectives of the evaluation are to establish the effectiveness of the project in terms of

the achievements against the set objectives: Specifically

42

To what degree has the TUSEME method enabled girls to speak out on the problems

confronting them in their education (e.g. early marriage)

To establish the benefits of the Take our Daughters to work activity, Girls‟ camps and

Science Math and Technology clinics.

To gather information on how knowledge, attitudes and practices of Mothers‟ Clubs

members related to Girls‟ education have changed positively as a result of the training

received.

To establish whether the provision of seed money and skills training facilitated the

fundraising and sustainability of the clubs and whether this has resulted to any positive

changes in girls‟ attendance and retention in schools.

To assess the functional value of the Mothers Club Training Manual, FAWE-GAM

Newsletter the AGM, and, the IEC materials on retention and attendance rates of girls in

school.

To determine the efficiency of the project in terms of the use of total financial resouces of

two million, nine hundred and seven thousand, nine hundred and forty five dalasis

(D2,907,945.00 for the period 201-2011) and assess its sustainability in the absence of

external funding.

The evaluation will therefore focus on these 6 key questions as outlined above and produce an

analytical report determining the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of the intervention

in addressing the underlying causes limiting girls‟ participation in education.

4. Methodology, Deliverables and Reporting Requirements:

As a first step, FAWE will provide a detailed list of the schools where the activities have taken

place in the following format:

Schools

where

the

program

took

place

Regio

n

TUSEM

E

worksho

p

No of

childre

n

benefitt

ed

Take

our

Daught

ers to

work

No of

childre

n

benefit

ted

Girls

Camp

No of

childre

n

benefit

ted

Scienc

e

and

Math

clinics

No of

childr

en

benefi

tted

Seed

Money

provided

to

Mothers

club

No of

mothers

clubs

Trained

School 1

School 2

School 3

etc…

The evaluation will use a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of data gathering

and analysis. It will combine a broad desk review of relevant data and available documents

including the UNICEF programme documents, and FAWE-GAM project documents. As part of

the qualitative assessment, a random sampling will be conducted of the communities and groups

43

on which the program impacted to ascertain if the intervention increased the Mothers‟ Clubs and

community members awareness of the value of girls‟ education, gender equality and women‟s

empowerment as well as improving girls attendance and retention in school

Key Informant Iinterviews and Focus Group Discussions will alsobe conducted with key

stakeholders including Mothers‟ Clubs members, teachers, head teachers, girls, and community

members using questionnaires which will be developed to facilitate the assessment.

Ethical measures (e.g. ensuring the anonymity of the participants in the KIIs and FGDs) are to be

taken to protect the interviewees and also assure confidentiality of the participants).

5. Responsibilities

The evaluation will be carried out by a single consultant who will be responsible for all aspects

of the evaluation, including the desk review, the interviews, focus group discussions at field level

and the final report. The consultant will be responsible for making a presentation of the findings

of the report in a validation meeting and staff of FAWE-GAM, UNICEF, MoBSE and other

stakeholders will provide comments where appropriate.

FAWE-GAM together with UNICEF will be responsible for providing technical guidance,

facilitating access to relevant documents, the Mothers‟ Clubs, schools and communities to be

visited. The UNICEF Education Specialist and FAWEGAM National Coordinator will be

responsible for the supervision of the Consultant and act as liaison between the consultant and

the stakeholders.

Other stakeholders that will be part of the supervising team assisting with access to relevant

documents and schools, will constitute Women‟s Bureau, MoBSE Regional Directors and the

Gender Unit..

Deliverables: In the course of the study the following deliverables/reports will be produced.

Presentation of detailed research plan. The evaluation will begin with the preparation of

a detailed research plan, which will be presented by the researcher to FAWE-GAM, and

UNICEF and discussed with the consultant. This research plan or technical proposal will

provide detailed information on the issues to be addressed, the methodology to be used,

the sources of information, the timeline for conduct of the research, and the proposed

structure of the report.

Inception report (finalized research plan/ technical proposal). The research plan

finalized after the initial discussion with FAWE-GAM and UNICEF will constitute the

inception report.

Final report and presentation. A final synthesis report will be prepared, presenting the

main findings and conclusions of the evaluation as a whole, as well as, key

recommendations. Prior to this there will be a validation meeting in which the consultant

will make a power point presentation on the findings and secure comments to finalize the

report. This meeting is expected to bring together MoBSE staff, other stakeholders,

including the UNGEI network members, Women‟s Bureau and UNICEF to review the

draft report and provide comments for inclusion in the final report.

44

6. Timeline

The evaluation will cover a period of 51 working days with the following indicative timelines

No. Main activity and output Timeline

Completion of draft research plan 5 working days

Review of draft research plan by FAWE-GAM and

UNICEF

5 working days

Desk review of all relevant documents and preparation of

the data collection tools

5 working days

Field work – data collection (conducting focus groups and

interviews

15 working days

Data analysis and 1st draft report writing 8 working days

Submission of draft report to FAWE-GAM and UNICEF

and validation meeting

5 working days

Final report writing and submission 8 working days

TOTAL 51 working days

7. Consultant Profile

The consultant must have a Master‟s degree in a relevant discipline in the social sciences

with knowledge and familiarity with the Education system in the Gambia.

He/she must have a strong background in gender and education as well as development

work and with at least 5 years of professional experience.

Must be familiar with the context of the regions where the study will be conducted.

Must have good command of the English language, good writing skills and computer

applications- MS word and excel.

Knowledge of at least two local languages will be an advantage.

8. Budget and payment modalities

The consultancy fees will be based on a negotiated rate as per the UN rates for National

Consultants. The negotiated rate will take into account the qualification of the consultant and the

financial proposal submitted. The overall fee will include consultancy fees and all other related

costs including logistics, transportation, and DSAs up to the delivery of the final report in soft

and 5 hard copies.

The payment schedule is as follows:

20% will be paid as a mobilisation fee upon submission of the draft research plan and

signing of the contract.

25 % upon the timely submission of the first draft report acceptable by FAWE-GAM and

UNICEF.

25% upon the timely submission and clearance of the second draft by FAWE-GAM and

UNICEF.

30% final payment upon the timely submission of the final draft report approved by

FAWE-GAM and UNICEF.

9. Administrative Matters

45

Interested potential individuals with appropriate qualifications and experience are invited to

apply and submit a brief proposal of no longer the 4 pages, excluding CVs, containing the

following information:

Proposed method of work outlined in the terms of reference

Comments on the terms of reference

Draft time frame to complete the proposed work

Proposed total budget, including breakdown of items

Example of recent work conducted by the consultant.

All applications should be sent to the:

Operations Manager

UNICEF Banjul

UN House, 5 Kofi Annan Street

Cape Point, Bakau.

The closing date for the receipt of all applications is Friday 6th

January 2012

Pepared by:........Jenieri B. Sagnia Education Specialist............ Date...

Reviewed by Yadicone Njie Eribo FAWE Coordinator ……… Date………..

Reviewed by:.....Meritxell Relano Deputy Representative................. Date...........................

Approved by:..Aichatou Diaward-Flambert UNICEF Country Representative......

Date...........................

46

Annexe 2: RESEARCH PLAN/INCEPTION REPORT

EVALUATION

OF THE FORUM FOR AFRICAN WOMEN EDUCATIONALIST (GAM)

GIRLS’ EDUCATION PROJECT IN THE GAMBIA

INTRODUCTION

The Forum for African Women Educationalist (FAWE), a pan-African Non-Governmental

Organization was established in 1992 to empower Girls and women through gender-responsive

education. FAWE works in 32 countries including The Gambia. The Gambian chapter FAWE-

GAM was established in 1997.

FAWE‟s vision is “a world in which all African girls have access to education, perform well and

complete their studies, and gender disparities in education are eliminated”. Taking cue from this

FAWE-GAM‟s vision and mission are:

Vision

A World in which gender disparities in education will be significantly reduced and more girls

will have access to education, perform well and complete their studies.

Mission

A World in which gender disparities in education will be significantly reduced and more girls

will have access to education, perform well and complete their studies.

This is based on the conviction that it is by educating women and girls, livelihoods are improved

for entire communities and civic education and liberties are enhanced. Educated girls become

educated women who have the knowledge, skills and opportunity to play a role in governance

and democratic processes and to influence the direction of their societies. FAWE-GAM works

strategically with communities, schools, civil society, NGO‟s the Ministry of Basic and

Secondary Education (MoBSE) and UNICEF to achieve gender equity and equality in education

through targeted programmes.

BACKGROUND

The government of The Gambia is committed to meeting the Education for All (EFA) and the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. To this end the MoBSE which has direct

responsibility for the attainment of these targets has endeavored to provide quality basic

education for all children in The Gambia as promised in the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia

and the 2004-2015 Education Policy. The concept for basic education in The Gambia has been

expanded to encompass 9 years of schooling (Grades 1 to 9), early childhood development and

Adult Non-Formal Education. These efforts have yielded results as the Gross Enrolment Rate

47

increased to 88% in 201016

with a Net Enrollment Rate of 70% for girls. The MoBSE is

supported in its efforts by UNICEF, FAWE-GAM and other NGOs, government institutions,

bilateral and multilateral institutions.

These achievements notwithstanding there are still pockets of low enrolment when this data is

dis-aggregated by region and districts. The CSR 2011 outlines the status of gender disparities in

The Gambia education system. At the basic cycle level, gender inequalities are virtually

inexistent. A slight disparity exists at the upper basic completion which is carried through to

senior secondary school which is completed by only 25% of girls against 32% for boys.

Disparities are more marked by area of residence. Even though the rural population represents

62% of the total population of The Gambia this is not reflected in the numbers of children

enrolled as the number of rural children registered in the UBC is not more than the number of

children at this level.

Poverty is the most discriminatory factor and only 3% of the poorest quintile complete secondary

school as against 38% of the wealthiest quintile. When combined only 1% of the poorest rural

girls complete secondary school against 43% of the richest urban boys. Costs of schooling create

a significant barrier to schooling as Gambian households spend almost 46% of their income on

education and many cannot afford this. Most of these girls drop out during primary: 60% access

grade 1 but only 15% reach grade 6. There are also marked regional disparities. The further

East one goes up country, the lower the access and completion rates. The primary completion

rates are in Regions 5 and 6 are as low as 24% and 18% respectively. Region 6 is further

characterized by acute UBC under enrollment of just 14%. There are also significant variations

among districts.

Addressing gender inequalities in education is major challenge for the MoBSE. There are still

pockets of resistance to formal education and many see it as alienating to traditions and culture

especially for girls. Entrenched socio-cultural values and norms and gender stereo-types still

place girls and women in the home. Marriage is de-facto and every girl is expected to get

married and in some communities as early as possible resulting in early marriage and early

pregnancies which takes the girls out of school sometimes before completing a cycle. To attain

the gender related EFA goals remains high on the agenda. Sustained advocacy, awareness

creation and behavior change communication are critical strategies to change mind sets and

behaviors and influence communities to send their children to school.

It is against this backdrop that the FAWE-GAM in collaboration with UNICEF is supporting the

MoBSE to improve the status of girl‟s education in The Gambia nationally and in specific

regions such as Upper River Region (URR) where the enrolment rates for girls is lowest when

compared with other Regions. Under this tripartite arrangement the following targets have been

identified:

Net enrolment rates in lower basic schools increased from 70% to 80%;

16

Country Status Report 2011

48

Attendance rate for girls improved;

100 mothers clubs enabled to generate income to sustain advocacy for increased

enrolment; retention and attendance for children in school;

Promoting women‟s participation in social policy development through training of

members of the mothers clubs and the executive of the network of mothers clubs;

Promote gender equity and equality in education in The Gambia by fostering positive

policies practices and attitudes towards girls‟ education.

A Project Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between UNICEF and FAWE-GAM indicated the

terms and conditions of the partnership for 2010-2011. As set out in the PCA an evaluation

would be conducted at the end of the two years to provide information on the success or

otherwise of the Project or otherwise and to highlight remaining challenges and constraints. A

consultant was hired to carry out the evaluation.

3. PURPOSE OF THE EVALUATION

The purpose of the evaluation is to enable FAWE-GAM to build on its strengths, minimize its

weaknesses and overcome any constraints that it may have encountered during implementation.

Findings from the evaluation will also inform the MoBSE in its implementation of the

Programme for Improved Quality Standards in Schools (PIQSS). As the UNICEF Country

Programme (2007-2011) has ended the evaluation will inform the planning and implementation

for the 2012-2016 Country Programme.

3. OBJECTIVES OF THE EVALUATION

The main objectives of the evaluation are to establish the effectiveness of the project in terms of

achievements against the objectives. These are:

To what degree has the TUSEME method enabled girls to speak out on the problems

confronting them in their education (e.g early marriage)

To establish the benefits of the Take Our Daughters to work activity, Girl Camps and

Science, Mathematics and Technology Clubs.

To gather information on how knowledge, attitudes and practices of Mothers Clubs Members

related to Girls Education have changed positively as a result of the training received.

To establish whether the provision of seed money and skills training facilitated the

fundraising and sustainability of the clubs and whether this has resulted in any positive

changes in girls‟ attendance and retention in schools.

To assess the functional value of the Mother‟s Club Training Manual, FAWE-GAM

Newsletter, the AGM, and the IEC materials on retention and attendance of girls in school.

To determine the efficiency of the Project in terms of the use of the total financial resources

of D2, 907, 945.00 (Two Million, Nine Hundred and Seven Thousand, Nine Hundred and

Forty Five Dalasis), and assess its sustainability in the absence of external funding.

4. SCOPE OF WORK

The evaluation will be conducted in some of the regions where FAWE-GAM has conducted its

activities and provided support to them for girl‟s education. The six (6) key questions outlined in

the objectives will be the main focus of the evaluation. Specifically the research will seek to

ascertain the following:

49

How effective have the interventions been in bringing about the desired behavior changes

which have translated into increased enrolment and retention for girls in school and

improved their performance?

How relevant are the interventions for communities whose perceptions of education and

gender may be different from the objectives of the Project and from national and global

perspectives?

How efficient is the Project in terms of costs and benefits?

How sustainable are the interventions and how have the communities, especially the

women and girls, taken ownership of them?

What are the intended and the unintended outcomes of the Project and significant

successes or failures if any?

How empowered are the girls and women, speak up and take action. Are they

participating in decision making on matters their affect their lives in both the public and

private spheres?

What linkages have been developed with other partners at the community, LGA, national

and international levels and how have these contributed to the successful implementation

of the Project?

A detailed evaluation report will analyze the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of the

intervention in addressing the underlying causes limiting girl‟s participation in education.

5. METHODOLOGY

5.1 A combination of quantitative and qualitative tools will be used to collect data from primary

and secondary sources.

Primary sources will include UNICEF, Gender Unit of the MoBSE and FAWEGAM

governance body and personnel; local communities, Mother‟s Clubs Members, Head

teachers, teachers, TUSEME club members and professional women and girls who

participated in the Take our Daughters to School programme.

Secondary sources will include the PCA, FAWE activity and progress reports and data

from EMIS of the MoBSE and from UNICEF.

5.2 Sampling: Purposive random/judgmental sampling has been used to identify the

communities and schools that will be used to collect the quantitative and qualitative data. This

method is used in cases where the researcher can select a more representative sample that can

bring more accurate results than using other probability sampling techniques. The process

involves purposely handpicking individuals from the population based on the researcher‟s

knowledge and judgment. Purposive sampling can be very useful for situations where there is

the need to reach a targeted sample quickly (as is the case in this study). It is one of the only

viable sampling technique in obtaining information from a very specific group of people. The

target population, schools and communities are purposively selected because they meet a certain

characteristic. In this case the main characteristic is the FAWE-GAM branding. The selected

individuals, schools and communities must be connected to the FAWE–GAM brand - existence

of a mother‟s clubs and/or a Tuseme Club; participation in one of the FAWEGAM programmes-

Take our Daughters to School or Science and Mathematics Clinics. Other characteristics include

the ethnicity of the population to determine behavior characteristics by ethnicity and location

50

(urban/rural). The schools and communities were randomly selected from the list of schools

provided by FAWE.

5.3 Quantitative Data:

Key Information Interviews (KII) will be conducted with the primary data sources

Questionnaires will be developed and administered.

5.4 Qualitative Data

Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) will be conducted with the Mothers and Tuseme Clubs in the

selected schools and observations made of their activities and products.

5.5 Development of Data Collection Tools: Questionnaires will be developed for the KII‟s

(100) and FGD (15) for the participatory FGDs and Visualization in Participatory Programming

(VIPP) will be used to ascertain how far Tuseme has empowered girls to have self-confidence,

self-respect and self-esteem.

5.6 Field Visits: On site visits will be conducted to selected schools and communities in

Regions 6, 5 and 1 representing 50% of the education regions in the country. A total of 15

schools and 5 communities will be visited in these regions (Region 6 (6), Region 5 (5) and

Region 1 (4) each of the 3 regions. In each of the regions KIIs and FGDs will be conducted with

the target groups indicated in the primary data sources. A total of 100 KIIs and 22 FGDs will be

conducted (see tables 1 and 2). With a minimum of 10 persons per FGD at least 220 people will

participate in the FGDs. The consultant will be assisted in this exercise by field staff.

5.7 Data collation and analysis: Data collected from the field visits will be collated and

analyzed and the information used to write the report.

5.8 Reporting: The Consultant reports to UNICEF and FAWE. Reporting is in the form of

briefing meetings and submission of written reports. A draft report (6 copies) will be produced

and submitted to FAWEGAM and UNICEF for their input. The draft report will also be subject

to scrutiny by other stakeholders to bring on board wider perspectives and insights that are

intended to add value to the report. To this end a Validation Workshop will be held and input

from the participants will be incorporated into the final report. UNICEF will facilitate the

validation workshop. The final report will be submitted to UNICEF in soft and hard copies (6).

5.9. RISKS & ASSUMPTIONS: Purposeful sampling can be very informative. However, this

sampling method cannot produce results that can be generalized to the study population as a

whole. There may also be an element of bias in selecting the sample. This bias will be reduced

by the ability of the Consultant to work objectively and without bias and by the type of questions

that are asked in the interviews and FGDS. The random selection of participants for the FGDs

will also help reduce any biases.

It is assumed that UNICEF and FAWE-GAM will provide all the required documentation and

technical resources- technical, financial and material that are related to the Study on a timely

51

basis. The timely submission of reports by the Consultant is contingent on this and any delays in

accessing this could negatively impact on the implementation of the plan of work. Payment

arrangements would be as per the contract. Field work would be conducted by the Consultant

and reimbursement made based on the submission of a claim for refund of DSA and other related

logistical issues.

The Plan of work submitted by the Consultant and agreed to at the 1st Meeting with the

Consultant would serve as a monitoring tool to be used by UNICEF (the Deputy Representative

and Education Team) to monitor progress. Any delays would result in the application of

penalties.

Key Informant Interviews (KIIs)

Region Area Institution Category No

6 Basse Regional Ed. Directorate Director 1

Regional Ed. Directorate Mother‟s Club FP 1

Regional Ed. Directorate Cluster Monitor 3

School Head teacher 6

School Secretary to Mother‟s Club 6

Network of Mother‟s Clubs Chairpersons 1

Tuseme Club Teacher in Charge of Club 3

Governor‟s Office Governor 1

Local Government Office Development Officer 1

Traditional Leaders Chief/Alkalo/Opinion Leader 4

NGO Tostan 1

Sub Total 28

5 CRR Regional Ed. Directorate Director 1

Regional Ed. Directorate Mother‟s Club FP 1

Regional Ed. Directorate Cluster Monitor 3

School Head teacher 5

School Secretary to Mother‟s Club 5

Governor‟s Office Governor 1

Local Government Office Development Officer 2

Traditional Leaders Chief/Alkalo/Opinion Leader 5

Sub Total 23

1 KMC &

BCC

Regional Ed. Directorate Director 1

Regional Ed. Directorate Mother‟s Club FP 1

Regional Ed. Directorate Cluster Monitor 2

School Head teacher 4

School Secretary to Mother‟s Club 4

Network of Mother‟s Clubs Chairperson 1

Tuseme Club Teacher in Charge of Club 3

Municipal Council Mayors 2

52

Local Government Office Development Officer 2

Traditional/Opinion

Leaders

Alkalo/Ward Councillors 3

NGOs in area WANEP/EFANet/CPA/TANGO 4

Sub Total 27

Region Area Institution/Programme Category No

MoBSE PEO Gender Unit 1

FAWEGAM Board members 2

Coordinator 1

UNICEF Education Officer 1

Finance officer 1

Social Welfare Dept. Deputy Director 1

Take Our Daughters to

School

Professional Women 3

Beneficiaries of Programme 5

Science and Mathematics

Clinics

Facilitators 2

Students 5

Sub Total 22

Overall

Total

100

Focus Group Discussions

Region Administrative

Area

School Ethnicity Tuseme

Club

Mother’s

Club

Upper River Region

6 URR South St. Georges Mixed 1 1

URR South St. Mulumba Mixed 1 1

URR South Nassir

Ahmadiya

Mixed 1 1

URR South Nafugan Fula 0 1

URR North Diabugu Serahule 0 1

URR North Nyakoi Mandinka 0 1

Central River Region

5 CRR North Kaur Mixed 0 1

CRR North Njau Wollof 0 1

CRR North Kuntaur Mandinka 0 1

CRR South Boraba Fula 0 1

CRR South Brikamaba Mixed 0 1

Greater Banjul

53

1 KMC St. Theresa‟s Mixed 1 1

KMC Latrikunda UBC Mixed 1 1

KMC Greater Banjul Mixed 1 1

Banjul Mohammedan Mixed 1 1

Total 7 15

52

PLAN OF WORK:

ITEM WEEKS & WORKING DAYS

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11 12

13th

-

19th

June

20th

-26th

June

27thJune

-

3rd

July

4th

-25th

July 26th

July- 6th

Aug

7th

-13th

Aug

14th

-22nd

Aug 27-30

No Cost

Extensio

n

Development

of Draft

Research

Plan

Review of

plan by

UNICEF &

FAWE-GAM

Desk

Reviews

Field work

Data analysis

& 1st Draft

Report

Submission

of Draft

Report to

UNICEF &

FAWE-GAM

Validation

Workshop

53

Final Report

53

Annexe 3 EVALUATION

OF THE FORUM FOR AFRICAN WOMEN EDUCATIONALIST (GAM)

GIRLS’ EDUCATION PROJECT IN THE GAMBIA

KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS

A. RESPONDENT PROFILE

A. 1. Region----------------------------------------------- A. 2. Area----------------------------

------------------

A.3 Designation of Respondent---------------------- A.4 Sex: Male Female

A. 5 Institution------------------------------------------- A.6 Contact (Tel/email) -----------

-----------------

Optional

Result of interview: |___|

Result codes: 1 – Interview completed Don‟t Know 05

2 - Interview started but not completed Other 09

3 - Refused

B. STUDY QUESTIONS

Circle the appropriate code or tick response given

1. KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FAWEGAM

1.1 Do you know about FAWE-GAM?

Know Know a little Don‟t Know

01 02 05

1.2 What does FAWEGAM do?

No Activities Response

01 Empower girls and women

02 Provide scholarship schemes for girls

03 Advocate for girls education

04 Create awareness for girl‟s education

05 Supports the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in its

efforts to get girls to go to school and stay in school

06 Works with UNICEF to get girls to go to school and stay in school

09 Other (Please specify)

1.3 Do you know about FAWE’s Girl’s Education Project?

Know Know a little Don‟t Know

54

01 02 05

1.4 What activities are implemented under this Project?

No Activities Response

01 Mother‟s Clubs

02 Tuseme Clubs

03 Take our Daughters to Work

04 Organize Science and Maths Clinics for Girls

05 Produce a newsletter

06 Train Mother‟s Clubs

07 Develop a training Manual

09 Other (Please specify)

2. RELEVANCE OF PROJECT INTERVENTIONS

2.1 How important are the interventions for the impact and target groups?

Very Important Important Slightly

Important

Not Important Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

2.2 To what extent have they addressed their needs and interests?

Very high High Slightly Not at all Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

2.3 How Relevant are the interventions for the impact and target groups?

Very relevant Relevant Slightly Relevant Not Relevant Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

2.4 How appropriate are the project objectives to the problems that were supposed to be

addressed?

Very

Appropriate

Appropriate Slightly Appropriate Not Appropriate Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

2.5 To what extent have they been achieved?

Very high High Slightly Not at all Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

2.6 In what ways-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------

55

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

2.7 Do the interventions comply with The Gambia‟s Education Policy 2004-2015 and the Master

Plan for Education 2006-2015?

Yes No A little Don‟t Know

01 02 03 05

If yes, how?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------

If no, why Not?--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------

3. INTER-RELATIONSHIPS

3.1 How is the inter-relationship between the FAWE-GAM team, community organizations and

Networks and funding agencies in terms of complementarities and coherence in activities

undertaken?

Very good Good Average Not good at all Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

3.2 If not good at all how can it be improved?--------------------------------------------------------------

----------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

3.3 Does the overall project design reflect the real needs of the community?

Yes No A little Don‟t Know

01 02 03 05

3.4 If yes, how?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------

56

3.5 If no, why?--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------

effects?

Very High High Medium Low Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

3.7 Is the project demand-driven?

Yes No Don‟t Know

01 02 05

3.8 If yes, how? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

3.9 If no, why not?----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

4. PROJECT OBJECTIVES

4.1 Have the project objectives taken into account gender parity and gender equality issues?

Yes No A little Don‟t Know

01 02 03 05

4.2 If yes, how?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------

4.3 If no, why, not?---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------

57

5.EFFECTIVENESS

5.1 To what extent will the intervention‟s objectives be met?

Very High High Medium Low Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

5.2 To what extent does the intervention reach the target groups?

Very High High Medium Low Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

5.3 How far has the project achieved its expected results?

Very High High Medium Low Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

Please Explain---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------

5.4 Are there alternative implementation strategies that would have been more effective

in achieving project outcomes?

Yes No Don‟t Know

01 02 05

5.5 If yes, how? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

5.6 If no, why?--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

6. EFFICIENCY

6.1 Do the resources involved correspond with the results achieved?

Yes No Don‟t Know

01 02 05

6.2 If yes, how? -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------

58

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

6.3 If no, why?--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

6. 4 Are there alternative approaches, which would involve lower costs / fewer resources but

achieve the same or higher results?

Yes No Don‟t Know

01 02 05

6.5 If yes, how? -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

6.6 What are the positive and negative consequences (intended and unforeseen consequences) to

date? list

Positive Negative Intended Unforseen

6.7 Is the actual decision making at household level really making social change?

Yes No A little Don‟t Know

01 02 03 05

6.8 If yes, how?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------

6.9 If no, why not?---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------

59

7. GENDER: PERCEPTIONS ON GENDER

7.1 How are gender-mixed groups perceived as a vehicle for social change in those groups and

communities?

Very High High Medium Low Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

7.2 How are women only groups perceived as a vehicle for social change in those groups and

communities?

Very High High Medium Low Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

Explain-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------

7.3 What are the effects the project is having at the household level?

Effect Response

Improved household relationships

Women are participating in the decision making process

Girls are being sent to school

Boys are doing household chores

Reduction in early marriage

Reduction in harmful traditional practices

Mothers are talking more to their children about Sexual and

Reproductive Health issues

Reduction in Gender Based Violence (GBV)

Other (please specify)

7.4 Are there other external influences having an effect on project outcomes?

Yes No Don‟t Know

01 02 05

7.5 If yes, which? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

8. SUSTAINABILITY

8.1 To what extent do the interventions take an account of those factors which experience has

shown to be of key importance in sustainability?

Very High High Medium Low Don‟t Know

60

01 02 03 04 05

Explain-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

8.2 How sustainable are the local institutions receiving support?

Sustainable Moderately sustainable Not sustainable Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

8.3 Are actors/partners/associates financially, socially, and institutionally sustainable?

Yes No Don‟t Know

01 02 05

8.4 If yes, how?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

8.5 If no, why not?---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

8.6 Are the interventions providing for local project/programme management and/or building the

corresponding local capacities and institutions?

Yes No Don‟t Know

01 02 05

8.7 If yes, how?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------

8.8 If no, why not?---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------

61

9. PARTICIPATION AND SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

9.1 Are the objectives and expected results promoting the participation of the targeted

beneficiaries?

Yes No Don‟t Know

01 02 05

9.2 If yes, how?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------

9.3 If no, why not?---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------

9.4 How far does the project design address the issue of project ownership; do targeted

beneficiaries have the feeling of ownership of the project?

- Yes No Don‟t Know

01 02 05

9.2 If yes, how?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------

9.3 If no, why not?---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------

9.4 What were the levels of participation by the beneficiaries and the key stakeholders?

Very High High Medium Low Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

9.5 How effective was their participation at different levels?

Very effective Effective Medium Not effective Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

62

9.6 What influences do the stakeholders and beneficiaries have on project implementation,

monitoring, and evaluation processes?

Very High High Medium No influence Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

9.7 Have you ever participated in any FAWE-GAM activity?

Yes No

01 02

9.8 How effective was it?

Very effective Effective Medium Not effective Don‟t Know

01 02 03 04 05

Explain-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------

10. Do you have any other comments? ----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------

THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THE QUESTIONNAIRE

63

Annexe 4:

EVALUATION OF THE AFRICAN WOMEN EDUCATIONALIST (GAM)

GIRLS’ EDUCATION PROJECT IN THE GAMBIA

TUSEME CLUBS FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

A. RESPONDENT PROFILE

A. 1. Region ----------------------------------------- A. 2. Area--------------------------------

-

Date Information Collected-------------------------- School of Tuseme Club----------------

-------

B. DISCUSSIONS: Please fill in the number of respondents by response.

1. KNOWLEDGE OF FAWE-GAM

1.1 What do you know about FAWE-GAM?

No List of responses No. of Respondents

1

2

3

4

5

1.2 What does FAWE-GAM do?

No List of responses of what FAWE-GAM does No. of Respondents

1

2

3

4

5

2. KNOWLEDGE OF TUSEME

2.1 What is the meaning of TUSEME?

No Definitions of TUSEME Club No. of Respondents

1

2

3

4

5

2.2 How old is your TUSEME Club? (Indicate exact age)

64

Age of TUSEME Club (List down

responses)

No. of Respondents

2.3. How many members are in the TUSEME Club?

No. of Members (List down

responses)

No. of Respondents

2.4 Composition of TUSEME

Are there male members?

Responses No. of Respondents?

Yes

No

Don‟t Know

2.5 Why are boys included?

No Definitions of TUSEME Club No. of Respondents

1

2

3

4

5

3. MANAGEMENT OF TUSEME CLUB

3.1 Do you have a Secretariat?

Responses No of

Respondents

Yes

No

Don‟t Know

65

3.2 What is the composition of the Secretariat?

No Composition of TUSEME Club No. of Respondents

1

2

3

4

5

6

3.3 How active is your TUSEME Club?

Responses No. of Respondents

3.4 What support do you get from the School (if any)?

Responses No. of Respondents

3.5 What are the activities of the TUSEME Clubs?

Responses No. of Respondents

3.6 What Impact has TUSEME had on the school? List school transformation if any.

Responses No. of Respondents

66

4. SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY BASED ACTIVITIES FOR EMPOWERING GIRLS

4.1 What kinds of support do the schools/communities provide in girls empowerment (if

any)?

Responses No. of Respondents

4.2 Initiatives taken by community/school to protect girls against Gender Based Violence

(if any)

Responses No. of Respondents

4.3 Has the project institutionalized any processes in the schools and communities for

removing gender stereotypes?

Responses No. of Respondents

5. CAPACITY BUILDING

5.1 What training activities has FAWE-GAM organized for your TUSEME Club since

your formation?

Responses No. of Respondents

5.2 How do you apply the knowledge and skills that you have acquired from this training?

Responses No. of Respondents

67

5.3 Details of club activities carried out in the past few months (List)

Responses No. of Respondents

C. ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF THE PROJECT ON THE GIRLS

The following questions are designed to ascertain the extent, to which the respondents adequate

self-confidence, self-respect, self-esteem, gender sensitivity and confidence in women‟s

leadership. VIPP Cards are to be used to determine the changes

Table 1: The Adequacy of Girls’ Manifestation of Self-confidence.

No Items Agree Disagree

Number % Numbe

r

%

1 Success depends on self determination.

2 A good girl shows complete obedience to the boy or man

she really loves.

3 A girl can achieve as much as a boy.

4 Boys perform better than girls academically.

5 A person can do any job regardless of gender

6 You always consult people before taking a decision.

7 You blame people for the consequences of your decisions.

8 You change your mind based on your feelings.

9 Your parents or your husband will always take care of you.

Table 2: Questions about the girl’s self esteem

No. Item Agree % Disagree %

1 I feel that I am a person of worth

2 I feel that I have a number of good qualities.

3 I am able to do things as well as most other people.

4 I feel I do not have much to be proud of.

5 On the whole, I am satisfied with myself

6 I wish I could have more respect for myself.

7 I certainly feel useless at times.

8 All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a failure.

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9 At times I think I am no good at all.

10 I take a positive attitude toward myself.

Table 3: Family Duties Ascribed to Women by the Girls.

No. Items Agree Disagree

F % F %

1 Making family decisions

2 Carrying firewood

3 Cooking

4. Fetching water

5 Doing the laundry

6 Taking care of the children

7 Taking children to school

8 Looking after the baby

9 Paying house rent

10 Doing minor repairs in the house

11 Providing money for food

12 Maintaining the family car

13 Taking the car to the mechanic

14 Attending PTA meetings

15 Attending political party meetings

Table 4: Extent of Girls’ Confidence in Female Leadership.

No Items Agree Disagree

Number % Numbe

r

%

1 Men lead and women follow

2 Women are subordinate to men

3 You want The Gambia to have a female Head of State

4 You want a female Governor in your region

5 You will like to work under a female leader

6 Women cannot lead

7 Women cannot head a political party

8 Women constitute half of the country‟s population and

therefore should have a say in the way in which it is run

THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE FGD

69

Annexe 5 EVALUATION

OF THE FORUM FOR AFRICAN WOMEN EDUCATIONALIST (GAM)

GIRLS’ EDUCATION PROJECT IN THE GAMBIA

MOTHER’S CLUBS FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

Please fill in the number of respondents by response.

A. RESPONDENT PROFILE

A. 1. Region ----------------------------------------- A. 2. Area--------------------------------

-

Date Information Collected-------------------------- Name of Mother‟s Club---------------

--------

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MOTHER’S CLUB

Information

No. of Respondents

Primary Language Spoken

Other Languages

Ethnic/Tribal Groups Represented

Religions (approximate % of group)

Socio / Economic Information

(urban, rural, nomadic, farming, business, etc.)

Other

B. DISCUSSIONS

1. KNOWLEDGE OF MOTHER’S CLUB

1.1 How old is your Mother‟s Club? (Indicate exact age)

1.2. How many members are in the Mother‟s Club?

1.3. What communities make up the Mother‟s Club?

1.4. What is a Mothers Club?

2. MANAGEMENT OF MOTHER’S CLUB

COMPOSITION

2.1 Do you have an Executive Committee (Ex. Comm.)?

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2.2 Who are the members of the Ex. Comm.?

2.3 Do you have an Apex Organisation (Network of Mother‟s Clubs)?

2.4 Do you know who the President of the Network is?

2.5 Name if Yes---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. MEETINGS

3.1 How often does the Mother‟s Club Meet?

3.2. What is discussed at these meetings?

3.3 Are records of these meetings kept?

4. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

4.1 Do you have a bank account?

4.2 Which bank do you use?

4.3 Do you know how much money you have?

4.4 Who makes decisions on how the money is spent?

4.5 What is the money spent on?

4.6 How do you raise money?

5. CAPACITY BUILDING

5.1 How many have you attended a training workshop?

5.2. What type of Training/Workshops were these?

5.3 How effective were the workshops in providing you with skills?

5.4 How effective were the workshops in providing you with knowledge?

5.5. To what extent are you applying the acquired skills?

5.6 To what extent are you applying the knowledge?

6. GIRLS EDUCATION

6.1 Knowledge of area of operation

Primary/Lower Basic Cycle

Number of primary schools in area of Mother‟s Club

Estimated coverage of girls in primary school

Attendance of female students (Low/high? Tapers off after certain age?)

Upper Basic Cycle (UBC)

Number of UBC in area of Mother‟s Club

Estimated coverage of girls in UBC schools

Attendance of female students (Low/high? Tapers off after certain age?)

Secondary Schools Number of secondary schools in area of Mother‟s Club

Estimated coverage of girls in secondary school

Attendance of female students (Low/high? Tapers off after certain age?)

6.2 Comment on activities targeting girls

6.2.1 How often do you provide mentoring services to students?

6.2.2 How effective is the mentoring programme?

6.2.3 How effective have your programmes been in enabling communities to provide for the

educational needs of their children?

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6.2.4 In what ways? List

6.2.5 Have your interventions resulted in equal treatment for boys and girls in the home?

6.2.6 In your opinion what are the major problems related to schools which may hinder girls to

complete their education?

6.2.7 To what extent? (This should be based on the responses provided by the FGDs in 6.2.6

above)

6.2.8 What are the cultural traditions and practices that hinder the completion of schooling by

female students? List by response given by FGDs

6.2.9 To what extent? (Use the list responses provided by the FGDs in 5.2.8)

6.2.10 Parental attitudes towards girl’s education: To what extent do you agree with the

following statements?

No Statement No. of Respondents

Agree Not sure Disagree

1 Girls have to be accorded as much resources as boys for

their education.

2 Boys and girls are equally intelligent and can perform

equally.

3 Girls need education even if they are married or get

pregnant before they complete schooling.

4 Girl education guarantees more secure family and old

age support.

5 Education makes girls more understanding and self-

confident.

6 Educated girls have better chances for good

employment?

7 To what extent do you agree if the education of your

daughter has to be more like skills oriented than the

present?

8 People in this area believe that girls require education as

much as boys?

9 Parents in your area interested to equally invest in boys

and girls education?

7. Sustainability of Interventions

7.1 How sustainable is your Mother‟s Club?

7.2 Do you think that you will be able to continue without FAWE-GAM support?

If yes, how?

If no, why?

Do you have anything else that you want to tell us about the Mother‟s Club?

THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE MOTHERS’ CLUB FGD

72

Annexe 6: INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONAL WOMEN

A. 1. Region: A. 2. Area:

Date Information Collected Career of Professional Woman:

B. STUDY QUESTIONS

1. KNOWLEDGE OF FAWE-GAM

1.1 What do you know about FAWE-GAM?-

1.2 What does FAWE-GAM do?

1.3 How relevant is FAWE‟s work to the attainment of the EFA goals and the MDG‟s

2. PARTICIPATION IN THE TAKE OUR DAUGHTERS TO WORK PROGRAMME

2.1 When did you participate in the programme?

2.2 Why did you participate in the programme?

2.3 Where did your girl come from?

2.4 How was she chosen?

2.5 What activities did you participate in?

2.6 How did you find the programme?

2.7 What did you gain from participating in the prrogramme?

2.8 What did the girl gain from participating in the programme?

2.9 How has the programme contributed to the attainment of FAWE‟s mission?

2.10 Would you participate in the programme again?

2.11 Do you have suggestions to improve the programme?

73

PERSONS INTERVIEWED

These were service providers and government officials from the

Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education

Regional Education Directorates (1, 5 and 6)

Gender Education Unit

Heads of Schools

Tuseme Coordinators

School Management Structures

Department of Community Development

Department of Social Welfare

Local Government Authorities

Governor‟s offices

NGOs & CBOs

FAWEGAM Board and staff

Professional Women

Girls who participated in the Take Our Daughters to Work

Network of Mother‟s Clubs

Opinion and Traditional leaders

FGDs were held with

TUSEME CLUBS

1. KMC Latrikunda German LK Upper Basic Sch.

2. KMC Kanifing (Bakau) Greater Banjul Upper Basic Sch.

3. KMC Kanifing St. Threses Upper basic Sch.

4. URR Basse Nassir Ahmadiya

5. URR Basse St. Muhmbas

6. URR Basse St. Georges

MOTHERS’ CLUBS

1. URR Network mothers clubs

2. URR Nyakoi Nyakio Lower Basic Sch. Mothers clubs

3. Diabugu Diabugu Lower Basic Sch.

4. CRR Boraba Boraba Lower Basic Sch.

5. URR Birkamaba Birkamaba Mothers Clubs

6. CRR Njau Njau mothers Clubs

7. CRR Kuntaur Kuntaur lower Basic Sch.

8. CRR Kaur Kaur Lower Basic Sch.

9. KMC Tallinding Tallinding Lower Basic Sch.

10. URR Basse St. Georges Mother clubs

11. Banjul Muhammdan Lower Basic Sch.

12. CRR Njau mother clubs

13. URR Basse Mother clubs

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Annexe 7 Coverage of Mothers Clubs

Area and

School

Communities that make up the Mothers’ Club Total

Membership

Banjul

Mohammedan

school

Lasso Wharf, Grant Street, Lancaster, Kent St.,

Wellesley, Perseverance (6)

< 50

KMC

Tallinding

Lower Basic

Tallinding Central, Medina, Sicap, Calaban, Bantaba, Ibo

& China (7)

< 500

CRR South

Brikamaba Brikamaba, Sinchu Madado, Darsilami, Jamwelli,

Wellingara, Brikamanding (6)

30-40

Boraba Boraba, Korrop, Kassa Kunda, Yorro Berri Kunda,

Sinchu Soro Lee, Sinchu Soro Kunda (6)

< 50

CRR North

Kaur Lower

Basic

Kaur Wharftown, Jamwelli, Kerr Demba, Alpha Sana,

Kerr Korka, Kerr Madi (6)

< 50

Kuntaur Kuntaur Wharftown, Kuntaur Fula, Jatta, Tabakoto,

Tabakufu, Neme Jammeh (6)

< 50

Njau Njau Sawalo, Njau Sey Kunda, Njau Kofa, Bulung

Annomadi, Daru, Gui Jahanka, Molgo, Kerr Naude,

Njogoben (9)

< 50

URR South

Basse (St.

Georges)

Basse, Kiss Kiss, Tinkutu, Manneh Kunda, Sabu Sireh,

Basse Nding, Giroba –(7)

< 50

Nafugan Nafugan, Nafugan Pateh, Nafugan Jawardo, Nafugan

Jomel, Sinchu Maged, Sare Mamudo, Berefet (7)

< 50

URR North

Diabugu Kraw Kemo & Kraw Arafa (2)

< 50

Nyakoi Kerewan, Taibatu, Sutukunding, Medina & Farato (5) < 200